Neilesh
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "dark blue" or "deep blue".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Neilesh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Neilesh today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neilesh births was 2013 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neilesh. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Neilesh with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Neilesh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2013
5 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,475
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Neilesh: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Neilesh 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 Neilesh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Neilesh
Neilesh is a name of Sanskrit origin, derived from the combination of two words: "neela" meaning "blue" and "isha" meaning "lord" or "ruler." The name thus translates to "the blue lord" or "the ruler of the blue." This name has its roots in ancient Indian culture and mythology, where the color blue held significant symbolic value.
The earliest known use of the name Neilesh can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, where it was often associated with deities or celestial beings. In particular, the name Neilesh was sometimes used to refer to Lord Krishna, who was depicted with a bluish complexion, symbolizing his divine nature and connection to the infinite cosmos.
Throughout history, the name Neilesh has been borne by several notable individuals, including:
1. Neilesh Bose (1901-1972), an Indian poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Bengali literary world during the 20th century.
2. Neilesh Kulkarni (born 1967), an Indian classical musician and tabla player, known for his collaborations with renowned artists and his contributions to the preservation of traditional Indian music.
3. Neilesh Anand (born 1978), an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked on several critically acclaimed Bollywood projects.
4. Neilesh Patel (born 1985), an English cricketer who has represented various county teams and played domestically in England.
5. Neilesh Khandelwal (born 1990), an Indian entrepreneur and technology innovator, known for co-founding a successful artificial intelligence startup.
While the name Neilesh has its origins in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found use across various regions and communities, particularly in parts of India and among the Indian diaspora worldwide. The name's unique blend of linguistic roots and symbolic meaning has contributed to its enduring appeal and cultural significance.
People
Neilesh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neilesh 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
Neilesh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neilesh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neilesh 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Neilesh a common name?
We classify Neilesh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neilesh most popular?
The single biggest year for Neilesh was 2013, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neilesh is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Neilesh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neilesh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neilesh in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Neilesh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neilesh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Neilesh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Neilesh as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.