Nabila
A feminine Arabic name meaning noble, esteemed, or outstanding.
Name Census estimates that about 731 living Americans carry the first name Nabila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nabila today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nabila births was 2021 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nabila. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
731
~ 1 in 468,884 Americans
Peak year
2021
29 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,545
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Nabila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nabila from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 191 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nabila remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nabila by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nabila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nabilas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, California, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Nabila, while Texas, Minnesota, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nabila
The name Nabila has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, originating from the word "Nabil," meaning noble or distinguished. It is believed to have been in use since the early days of Islam, around the 7th century CE.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Nabila is found in historical records from the Abbasid Caliphate, a prominent Islamic empire that ruled from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, the name was associated with individuals from noble families or those with high social standing.
In Islamic tradition, the name Nabila is not explicitly mentioned in religious scriptures such as the Quran or the Hadith. However, its meaning and connotation align with the values and teachings of Islam, which emphasize nobility of character and moral excellence.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Nabila. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Nabila bint Al-Hasan, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the 9th century CE in the city of Baghdad. She was celebrated for her literary contributions and her passion for knowledge.
Another prominent figure was Nabila Al-Jazariyya, a 12th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from the city of Jazira, present-day Turkey. She was known for her wisdom and spiritual teachings, and her writings on Sufism continue to be studied by scholars today.
In the realm of art and culture, Nabila Iskandar, an Egyptian painter and sculptor born in 1928, gained recognition for her vibrant and expressive works that captured the essence of Egyptian life and traditions.
The name Nabila also graced the stage with Nabila Ebrahimi, an Afghan actress and filmmaker born in 1962. She is renowned for her contributions to the Afghan film industry and her advocacy for women's rights and empowerment.
More recently, Nabila Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian author and businesswoman born in 1958, made headlines for her successful business ventures and her involvement in philanthropic endeavors.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Nabila, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Nabila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nabila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nabila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nabila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 731 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nabila going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 468,884 US residents.
Is Nabila a common name?
We classify Nabila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 747 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nabila most popular?
The single biggest year for Nabila was 2021, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nabila is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nabila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nabila in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.