Find out how popular the last name Nila is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nila.

Nila, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nila surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nila in America

Nila is the 31824th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nila surname appeared 725 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nila.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nila to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nila

The surname NILA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day India and Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries CE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NILA can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts, where it was used as a descriptive term for the color blue or dark blue. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, possibly referring to individuals involved in the dyeing or weaving of indigo-colored fabrics.

In the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, the name NILA was sometimes spelled as "NEELA" or "NEELA," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of the subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the name NILA appeared in various administrative records and court documents. One notable example is Nila Khan, a distinguished military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century.

As the Mughal Empire expanded and consolidated its control over different regions, the name NILA spread across a wider geographical area. This led to the establishment of several villages and towns bearing the name, such as Nila Gumbad in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Nila Nand Pandit emerged as a renowned scholar and poet in the court of the Maratha ruler Shivaji. His literary works, written in Sanskrit and Brajbhasha, contributed to the cultural and intellectual legacy of the region.

Another notable bearer of the name NILA was Nila Chand Ghosh, a Bengali educator and social reformer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played a significant role in promoting female education and establishing several schools and colleges in Bengal.

During the British colonial period, the name NILA was also found among families and individuals across various regions of the Indian subcontinent. One example is Nila Dhar Basu, a Bengali lawyer and journalist who actively participated in the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century.

Throughout its history, the surname NILA has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, writers, military leaders, and social reformers, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diversity of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nila

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nila.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nila was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nila has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nila was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nila, please contact us.

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