Nilson
Nilson is both a surname and a given name variant of Nelson.
Meaning & Origin of Nilson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nilson is both a surname and a given name variant of Nelson.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nilson
Nilson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1982, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 17 Nilsons were born — ranking #5,208 that year. As of 2026, Nilson ranks #7,173 for baby boys with 10 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 365 Nilsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nilson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nilson 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 Nilson
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About the name Nilson
Nilson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 365 births in the dataset. Nilson's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #4,239. Use the chart and map above to compare Nilson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.