Nilo
Variant of Nilo of Greco-Latin origin meaning either "dark" or "from the Nile" river.
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Nilo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nilo today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nilo births was 2024 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nilo. 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
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
2024
31 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,655
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Nilo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nilo from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 120 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
Nilo 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 Nilo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nilos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nilo
The name Nilo is of Latin origin, derived from the word "Nilus," which refers to the Nile River in Egypt. This connection suggests that the name may have originated among ancient Roman or Greek communities with ties to Egypt or the Mediterranean region.
The Nile River played a vital role in the development of ancient Egyptian civilization, and it is possible that the name Nilo was initially used to honor or pay tribute to this significant geographical feature. Alternatively, the name may have been given to individuals who lived near or were associated with the Nile River.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nilo can be found in ancient Roman texts, where it was occasionally used as a masculine name. However, its usage appears to have been relatively uncommon during this period.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Nilo. One such figure was Nilo of Ancyra, a 5th-century Christian monk and church historian from Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Another was Nilo the Younger, an 11th-century Byzantine monk and saint who established several monasteries in Italy.
During the Renaissance period, the name Nilo gained some popularity in Italy, particularly in artistic and literary circles. One notable figure from this era was Nilo d'Arezzo (1395-1473), an Italian painter and sculptor known for his contributions to the early Renaissance style.
In the 19th century, the name Nilo was occasionally used in Latin American countries, possibly influenced by the region's Spanish and Portuguese colonial heritage. For example, Nilo Jesús Fabra (1843-1905) was a Venezuelan lawyer and politician who served as the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1900.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Nilo was Nilo Peçanha (1867-1924), a Brazilian politician and military officer who served as the President of Brazil from 1909 to 1910.
While the name Nilo has had a relatively limited usage throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various cultural and geographical backgrounds, often with connections to the ancient Mediterranean world or Latin American regions. Its association with the Nile River and the rich history of ancient Egypt has contributed to its enduring appeal and significance.
People
Nilo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nilo 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
Nilo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nilo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nilo 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 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Nilo a common name?
We classify Nilo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 375 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nilo most popular?
The single biggest year for Nilo was 2024, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nilo is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nilo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nilo 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.