Nilsa
A feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly related to "lily".
Name Census estimates that about 1,513 living Americans carry the first name Nilsa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nilsa today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nilsa births was 1960 (76 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nilsa. 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
1.5K
~ 1 in 226,540 Americans
Peak year
1960
76 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,825
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Nilsa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nilsa from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 606 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nilsa 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 Nilsa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nilsas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the most babies named Nilsa, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 143 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nilsa
The name Nilsa is believed to have its origins in the Scandinavian languages, specifically in Old Norse and Swedish. It is derived from the Old Norse word "nið," which means "darkness" or "night." The name is thought to have emerged during the Viking era, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD, in the regions of modern-day Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nilsa can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. In these sagas, Nilsa is mentioned as the name of a character, often a female warrior or a prominent figure in Norse society.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nilsa gained popularity among the Norse communities in Scandinavia. It was often associated with strength, courage, and resilience, traits highly valued in the Viking culture. Several historical records from this period mention individuals with the name Nilsa, although specific details about their lives and achievements are scarce.
One notable figure bearing the name Nilsa was a Viking shieldmaiden who lived during the 10th century. She was known for her fierce fighting skills and her unwavering loyalty to her clan. Unfortunately, little else is known about her life or exploits, but her legacy as a formidable warrior has been preserved in Norse folklore and oral traditions.
Another historical figure named Nilsa was a Norwegian noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her influential role in the political affairs of her time and her involvement in negotiating alliances between rival clans. Her diplomatic skills and wisdom were widely respected, and she played a crucial role in maintaining peace in the region.
In the 15th century, a Swedish woman named Nilsa gained recognition for her contributions to the arts and literature. She was a skilled poet and storyteller, and her works were highly praised by her contemporaries. Unfortunately, few of her writings have survived to this day, but her name has been immortalized in the annals of Swedish literary history.
Throughout the centuries, the name Nilsa has remained a part of Scandinavian culture, although its popularity has waxed and waned over time. While not as common as some other Nordic names, it has continued to be used, often carrying the connotations of strength, resilience, and a connection to the rich heritage of the Viking era.
People
Nilsa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nilsa 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
Nilsa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nilsa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,513 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nilsa 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 226,540 US residents.
Is Nilsa a common name?
We classify Nilsa as "Rare". It ranks above 92.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,804 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nilsa most popular?
The single biggest year for Nilsa was 1960, when 76 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nilsa is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nilsa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nilsa 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.
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.