Girl · #15,532 in 2026

Nilla

Nilla Wafers are a wafer-style cookie made by Nabisco, a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International.

Current Rank
#15,532
Peak Rank
#7,068 (1970)
Total Babies
26
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1924
First Year
2019
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#7068
Peak Rank
26
Total Count
5
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nilla

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Nilla Wafers are a wafer-style cookie made by Nabisco, a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The recipe for vanilla wafers or sugar wafers was invented in the late 19th century by German-American confectioner Gustav A. Mayer on Staten Island . He sold his recipe to Nabisco, and Nabisco began to produce the biscuits under the name Vanilla Wafers in 1898. By the 1940s, Vanilla Wafers had become a major ingredient in the Southern cuisine staple banana pudding , and Nabisco began printing a banana pudding recipe on the Vanilla Wafers box. The name of the product was not changed to "Nilla Wafers" until 1967. In 2013, the brand launched an advertising campaign on Facebook and other social m

The Story of Nilla

Nilla first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1924, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 6 Nillas were born — ranking #7,068 that year. As of 2026, Nilla ranks #15,532 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 26 Nillas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Nilla

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nilla 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 Nilla

What does the name Nilla mean?
Nilla Wafers are a wafer-style cookie made by Nabisco, a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International.
How popular is Nilla in 2026?
In 2026, Nilla ranks #15,532 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Nilla most popular?
Nilla reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #7,068 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Nilla a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nilla is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nilla?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nilla include Olwyn, Montra, Arcella. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Olwyn
Peak #7068
👧
Montra
Peak #7068
👧
Arcella
Peak #7068
👧
Ninon
Peak #7068
👧
Radine
Peak #7068
👧
Donnett
Peak #7068
👧
Thereas
Peak #7068
👧
Duffy
Peak #7068

About the name Nilla

Nilla is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1924 and has accumulated 26 births in the dataset. Nilla's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #7,068. Use the chart and map above to compare Nilla's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.