Nilaya
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "abode" or "dwelling place".
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the first name Nilaya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nilaya today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nilaya births was 2023 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nilaya. 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
107
~ 1 in 3,203,312 Americans
Peak year
2023
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,949
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Nilaya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nilaya from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 40 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nilaya 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 Nilaya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nilaya
The name Nilaya has its origins in the Sanskrit language and culture, dating back to ancient India. It is a combination of two Sanskrit words, "nila," meaning "blue" or "dark-colored," and "aya," meaning "home" or "abode." Therefore, the name Nilaya can be interpreted as "blue abode" or "blue dwelling."
Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language, was the primary language of Hindu scriptures and classical Indian literature. The name Nilaya is believed to have first appeared in some of these ancient texts, though its exact origins are uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Nilaya was a Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 8th century CE. He is known for his contributions to the study of Sanskrit grammar and poetry.
In the 12th century, there was a Hindu philosopher named Nilaya who wrote extensively on the concepts of Advaita Vedanta, a branch of Hindu philosophy that emphasizes the unity of all existence.
During the Mughal era in India, which spanned the 16th to 19th centuries, there was a renowned court painter named Nilaya. His intricate and vibrant paintings depicting scenes from Mughal court life and mythology are considered masterpieces of Indian art.
In the 18th century, Nilaya was the name of a prominent Sanskrit scholar and teacher who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the study of ancient Indian texts and literature.
Another notable figure with the name Nilaya was a 19th-century Indian freedom fighter and social reformer. He was an advocate for women's education and played an active role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
While the name Nilaya has its roots in Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries over the centuries. Its beautiful meaning and connection to the natural world have made it a popular choice across various regions and communities.
People
Nilaya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nilaya 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
Nilaya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nilaya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nilaya 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 3,203,312 US residents.
Is Nilaya a common name?
We classify Nilaya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nilaya most popular?
The single biggest year for Nilaya was 2023, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nilaya is about 12 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 Nilaya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nilaya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nilaya 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.
Is Nilaya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nilaya 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 Nilaya 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 common is the name Nilaya?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.