Nihir
A Sanskrit name meaning bright or radiant morning sun.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nihir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nihir today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nihir births was 2021 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nihir. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nihir. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2021
5 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,499
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Nihir: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nihir 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 Nihir during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nihir
The name Nihir is of Sanskrit origin, originating from the ancient Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "nihar," which means "day" or "sun." This name has been in use for centuries, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures.
One of the earliest known references to the name Nihir can be found in the Puranas, a collection of ancient Hindu religious texts. These texts, which date back to around the 3rd century BCE, mention the name in association with various deities and mythological figures.
In the 7th century CE, the Sanskrit scholar and grammarian Kalidasa wrote a famous play called "Vikramorvasiya," in which one of the characters is named Nihir. This play is considered a masterpiece of Sanskrit literature and has been widely studied and performed throughout the centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nihir. One of the earliest recorded instances is Nihir Baksh, a 16th-century Mughal military commander who served under the emperor Akbar. He is known for his bravery and military prowess in several battles against the Afghans and the Rajputs.
Another prominent figure with the name Nihir was Nihir Ranjan Ray, a Bengali writer and poet who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a prominent figure in the Bengali literary renaissance and is celebrated for his contributions to Bengali literature and poetry.
In the 20th century, Nihir Chakravarti was a renowned Indian classical vocalist and music teacher. Born in 1901, he was a highly respected exponent of the Patiala gharana (musical lineage) and is credited with training numerous talented musicians.
Nihir Bhattacharya, born in 1932, was a prominent Bengali writer and journalist. He was known for his critical writings on literature, politics, and social issues, and was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 for his literary contributions.
Finally, Nihir Dosanjh, born in 1981, is a British actor and model of Indian descent. He has appeared in several television shows and films, including "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Code Black," and is known for his versatile acting skills and charismatic on-screen presence.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Nihir throughout history, showcasing its deep roots and enduring presence across various cultures and eras.
People
Nihir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nihir 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
Nihir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nihir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nihir 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 Nihir a common name?
We classify Nihir 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 Nihir most popular?
The single biggest year for Nihir was 2021, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nihir is about 5 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 Nihir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nihir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nihir 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 Nihir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nihir 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 Nihir 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 Americans are named Nihir?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.