Nima
Of Persian origin meaning "half" or "one-half".
Name Census estimates that about 1,338 living Americans carry the first name Nima. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Nima today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nima births was 1992 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nima. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 256,169 Americans
Peak year
1992
51 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,354
Tracked since 1921
Gender
Gender distribution for Nima
Nima is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,395 total registrations, 1,034 (74.1%) were male and 361 (25.9%) were female.
Nima as a male name
- Ranked #6,354 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1990 (41 births)
Nima as a female name
- Ranked #10,824 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2013 (16 births)
Popularity
Nima: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nima from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 350 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Nima remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nima 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 Nima during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nimas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Maryland recorded the most babies named Nima, while New York, Maryland, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 110 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nima
The name Nima has its origins in the Persian language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Persian word "neyma," which means "good fortune" or "blessing." The name was commonly used in the regions of present-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nima can be found in the Shahnameh, the epic Persian poem written by Ferdowsi in the 10th century AD. The name appears in this literary masterpiece, indicating its long-standing presence in the Persian tradition.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Nima al-Din Abul-Rahman ibn Ibrahim al-Mustawfi al-Qazwini, a Persian historian and geographer, authored the famous work "Nuzhat al-Qulub" (Delight of the Hearts). His influence and scholarly contributions helped further cement the name's prominence in the region.
During the 14th century, Nima-yi Aruz-i Samarqandi, a renowned Persian poet and scholar from Samarkand, gained recognition for his works on Persian prosody and poetic meter. His name, Nima, reflects the enduring popularity of the moniker among literary figures of that era.
In the 20th century, one of the most celebrated Persian poets, Nima Yushij (1897-1960), played a pivotal role in modernizing Persian poetry. His innovative style and groundbreaking works earned him the title of "Father of Modern Persian Poetry," further elevating the name's cultural significance.
Another notable figure bearing the name Nima was Nima Yooshij (1924-2005), an Iranian film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to the Iranian New Wave cinema movement. His films, such as "The Deer" and "The Stranger and the Fog," gained critical acclaim and showcased his artistic vision.
Throughout history, the name Nima has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, artists, and historical figures, reflecting its enduring presence and cultural significance within the Persian-speaking world.
People
Nima + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nima 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
Nima: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nima?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,338 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nima 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 256,169 US residents.
Is Nima a common name?
We classify Nima as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,395 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nima most popular?
The single biggest year for Nima was 1992, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nima is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nima a male name?
Yes, 74.1% of people registered as Nima 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.