Nima
Nima is a Persian male given name popular in Iran. It is also a popular female given name in India meaning "moon" and is derivative of the Sanskrit given name "Purnima", meaning "full" (pur) + "moon" (nima).
- Arabic
- Persian
Meaning & Origin of Nima
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nima is a Persian male given name popular in Iran. It is also a popular female given name in India meaning "moon" and is derivative of the Sanskrit given name "Purnima", meaning "full" (pur) + "moon" (nima).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
- Persian
The Story of Nima
As a girl name
American parents first put Nima on the record books as a girl name in 1921, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2013, when 16 Nimas were born — ranking #7,372 that year. About 30% of every Nima on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nima ranks #9,169 for girls with 9 births, gradually falling (-9%). All told, over 379 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Nima first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1971, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1990: 41 births, good for #1,870 nationwide. About 29% of every Nima on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nima ranks #6,213 for boys with 14 births, gradually rising (+8%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Nima
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nima. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Nima
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Nima (politician) (born 1978/1979), Bhutanese politician
- Nima Arkani Hamed , Iranian-American-Canadian theoretical physicist
- Nima Fakhrara , Iranian film composer
- Nima Nakisa , Iranian footballer
- Nima Qavidel , Iranian footballer
- Nima Gholam Ali Pour (born 1981), Iranian-born Swedish journalist and politician
- Nima Momeni , arrestee in the 2023 death of businessman Bob Lee
- Nima Rumba , a singer from Nepal
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Nima
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nima 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 Nima
What does the name Nima mean?
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How popular is Nima in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Nima most popular?
Is Nima a unisex name?
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What are nicknames or variants of Nima?
About the name Nima
Nima is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Nima's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #1,596. Use the chart and map above to compare Nima's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1990 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.