Nilah
Girl name · #3722 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 40 baby girls were named Nilah, placing it at #3722 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2524, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 45,000 girls born in 2025 was named Nilah.
The 109-year story
Nilah first appears in the Social Security records in 1916, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2012, when 84 girls were named Nilah — good for #2232 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Nilah per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nilah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nilah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nilah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nilah will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nilah is most common
State-level data for Nilah is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Nilah
Statistically, parents drawn to Nilah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Naylah, Nalah, Ellah, Niylah, and Tylah.
NaylahNalahEllahNiylahTylahElahAniylahSkylah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nilah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | #3712 |
| 2024 | 30 | #4560 |
| 2023 | 48 | #3329 |
| 2022 | 31 | #4472 |
| 2021 | 46 | #3390 |
| 2020 | 62 | #2682 |
| 2019 | 62 | #2729 |
| 2018 | 60 | #2810 |
| 2017 | 62 | #2744 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2539 |
| 2015 | 71 | #2524 |
| 2014 | 79 | #2323 |
| 2013 | 75 | #2408 |
| 2012 | 84 | #2232 |
| 2011 | 81 | #2298 |
| 2010 | 66 | #2691 |
| 2009 | 58 | #2966 |
| 2008 | 53 | #3158 |
| 2007 | 41 | #3848 |
| 2006 | 32 | #4463 |
| 2005 | 34 | #4118 |
| 2004 | 18 | #6489 |
| 2003 | 20 | #5795 |
| 2002 | 20 | #5673 |
| 2001 | 13 | #7724 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nilah a popular girl name?
Nilah ranked #3722 among girls in 2025 with 40 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2524.
When was the name Nilah most popular?
Nilah peaked in 2012, when 84 American girls received the name (ranked #2232 that year). Since 2012 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nilah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 45,000 newborn American girls was named Nilah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.