Nayeli
An Indigenous Mexican name meaning "that which is yearned for".
Name Census estimates that about 23,205 living Americans carry the first name Nayeli. It sits at #319 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nayeli today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nayeli births was 2001 (1,845 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nayeli. 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.
Key insights
- • Nayeli is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
23K
~ 1 in 14,771 Americans
Peak year
2001
1,845 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2004 SSA rank
#319
Tracked since 1977
Gender
Gender distribution for Nayeli
Out of the 23,507 babies given the name Nayeli since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Nayeli as a male name
- Ranked #12,643 in 2004
- 5 male births in 2004
- Peak: 2002 (9 births)
Nayeli as a female name
- Ranked #319 in 2024
- 960 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2001 (1,845 births)
Popularity
Nayeli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nayeli from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 9,310 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Nayeli remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nayeli 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 Nayeli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nayelis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 40 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Nayeli, while Mississippi, Louisiana, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 562 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nayeli
The name Nayeli finds its origins in the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztec people of ancient Mexico. It is derived from the Nahuatl words "nā-yeli," which translate to "I love." This suggests that the name Nayeli may have been given to express parental love and affection for a newborn child.
The Nahuatl language was prevalent in central Mexico during the pre-Columbian era, and it continues to be spoken by various indigenous communities in Mexico today. The name Nayeli likely emerged among these Nahuatl-speaking groups, although the exact time period of its origin is uncertain.
While there are no known ancient texts or religious scriptures that explicitly mention the name Nayeli, its Nahuatl roots suggest a connection to the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Aztec civilization.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nayeli can be found in the writings of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish Franciscan missionary who lived in Mexico during the 16th century. In his work "Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España," Sahagún documented various aspects of Aztec culture, including names and their meanings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nayeli. Nayeli Sarmiento (1948-2019) was a Mexican actress and singer who appeared in numerous telenovelas and films. Nayeli Rangel (born 1984) is a Mexican model and television host known for her work on various reality shows.
Nayeli Judith Vega Valero (born 1990) is a Mexican lawyer and politician who has served as a federal deputy in the Congress of Mexico. Nayeli Portillo (born 1987) is a Mexican professional boxer who has won several titles in the lightweight division.
Nayeli Ramos (born 1993) is a Honduran-American actress and model, best known for her roles in television series like "Jane the Virgin" and "Dynasty."
It is worth noting that while the name Nayeli has its roots in the Nahuatl language and Aztec culture, it has gained popularity beyond its place of origin and is now used in various Latin American countries and among Hispanic communities worldwide.
People
Nayeli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nayeli 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
Nayeli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nayeli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 23,205 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nayeli 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 14,771 US residents.
Is Nayeli a common name?
We classify Nayeli as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23,507 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nayeli most popular?
The single biggest year for Nayeli was 2001, when 1,845 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nayeli is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nayeli a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Nayeli 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.