Nihal
An Arabic name meaning "achieving" or "attaining goals".
Name Census estimates that about 1,000 living Americans carry the first name Nihal. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Nihal today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nihal births was 2016 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nihal. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 342,754 Americans
Peak year
2016
61 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,024
Tracked since 1993
Gender
Gender distribution for Nihal
Nihal is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,009 total registrations, 783 (77.6%) were male and 226 (22.4%) were female.
Nihal as a male name
- Ranked #3,024 in 2024
- 41 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (41 births)
Nihal as a female name
- Ranked #7,471 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (23 births)
Popularity
Nihal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nihal from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 476 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nihal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nihal 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 Nihal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nihals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Nihal, while New Jersey, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nihal
The name Nihal is believed to have its origins in the Arabic and Persian languages. It is derived from the Persian word "nihan," which means "hidden" or "concealed." The name can also be traced back to the Arabic word "nahal," meaning "honey."
In Arabic culture, the name Nihal is often associated with beauty, sweetness, and inner grace. It is a name that has been widely used across the Middle East and parts of South Asia for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Nihal can be found in ancient Persian literature, particularly in the works of renowned poets like Ferdowsi and Rumi. These literary works often used the name metaphorically to describe the beauty and sweetness of nature, or to symbolize the hidden depths of the soul.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Nihal. One such person was Nihal Atsız (1905-1975), a Turkish author, poet, and political activist known for his nationalist ideologies and his contributions to the Pan-Turkic movement.
Another prominent figure was Nihal Chand Ghosh (1893-1968), an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
In the world of literature, Nihal Atsız (1840-1905) was a renowned Turkish novelist and playwright who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Turkish literature. His works often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.
In the field of music, Nihal Nilendra (1916-1989) was a celebrated Indian classical vocalist and composer who made significant contributions to the Hindustani classical music tradition. He was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.
Lastly, Nihal de Silva (1920-2012) was a renowned Sri Lankan architect and urban planner who played a significant role in shaping the modern architectural landscape of Sri Lanka. He is best known for his innovative designs that blended traditional Sri Lankan architectural elements with contemporary styles.
People
Nihal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nihal 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
Nihal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nihal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,000 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nihal 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 342,754 US residents.
Is Nihal a common name?
We classify Nihal as "Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,009 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nihal most popular?
The single biggest year for Nihal was 2016, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nihal is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nihal a male name?
Yes, 77.6% of people registered as Nihal 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.
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.