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

Nili, 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 Nili surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nili in America

Nili is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nili surname appeared 106 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 Nili.

The history of the last name Nili

The surname NILI originated in the Indian subcontinent during the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "nila," which means "blue." The name was likely associated with someone who dyed or traded in blue cloth or indigo dye.

NILI is predominantly found in northern India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Some historians suggest that the name may have roots in the ancient city of Varanasi, which was a hub for indigo cultivation and dyeing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the NILI surname appears in a 16th-century Persian manuscript, where it is mentioned as the name of a merchant from the region of Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh).

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Mir Nili Ali Khan served as the governor of Awadh under the Mughal Empire. He was known for his patronage of arts and architecture, and the city of Lucknow flourished during his reign.

Another notable person with the NILI surname was Munshi Nili Ram, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 19th century. He was born in 1825 in Agra and was celebrated for his contributions to Urdu literature.

During the British Raj, several individuals with the NILI surname held influential positions in the colonial administration. One such person was Rai Bahadur Nili Charan Banerjee, who served as a judge in the Bengal Presidency in the late 19th century.

In more recent times, Dr. Nili Adhikari was a prominent Nepalese academic and linguist who dedicated her life to the study and preservation of Nepal's indigenous languages. She was born in 1920 and played a significant role in documenting the linguistic diversity of Nepal.

Another individual with the NILI surname who gained recognition was Nili Rattan Bakshi, an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer from Punjab. He was born in 1882 and actively participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nili

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

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 Nili 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.

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 Nili was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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