Nilesh
Nilesh is an Indian name based on one of two deities, Vishnu or Shiva, in Hinduism, depending on which of its two Hindi pronunciations are used. 'Nilesh' means 'the Blue God', and is one of the alternate names for Vishnu, "The Preserver." Later, the name was also used to refer to Shiva, "The Destroyer of Evil", "The King." The name is a combination (sandhi) of two words: Neel ("blue") and Ish.
- Marathi
Meaning & Origin of Nilesh
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nilesh is an Indian name based on one of two deities, Vishnu or Shiva, in Hinduism, depending on which of its two Hindi pronunciations are used. 'Nilesh' means 'the Blue God', and is one of the alternate names for Vishnu, "The Preserver." Later, the name was also used to refer to Shiva, "The Destroyer of Evil", "The King." The name is a combination (sandhi) of two words: Neel ("blue") and Ish.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Marathi
The Story of Nilesh
The earliest SSA record of Nilesh as a baby boy name dates back to 1966, when 5 babies received it. 1982 was its biggest year on record, with 14 newborns named Nilesh — #3,108 in the national rankings. About 41% of every Nilesh on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Nilesh last appeared in the published SSA data in 2014, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 178 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nilesh
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nilesh is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nilesh
What does the name Nilesh mean?
What is the origin of the name Nilesh?
How popular is Nilesh in 2026?
When was Nilesh most popular?
Is Nilesh a unisex name?
What names go well with Nilesh?
About the name Nilesh
Nilesh is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1966 and has accumulated 178 births in the dataset. Nilesh's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #3,108. Use the chart and map above to compare Nilesh's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1982 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.