Niels
How to say it: NEELS · /ˈnils/
Danish and Dutch form of Nicholas, from Greek 'victory of the people' - classic in Scandinavia.
Niels was the 5,117th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 15 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1910s, its births are down about 13% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #4,149 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #5,117 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 15 |
| Share of births | 1 in 221,022 |
| Peak decade | 1910s |
| Change over 10 years | −13% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #4,149 |
| In France, 2025 | #670 among boys’ names, 50 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Niels has never gone out of use: even its quietest decade kept at least a quarter of its peak.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Niels is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Norwegian.
In France: #670 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Niels
- Niels Bohr (1885–1962)Danish physicist
- Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829)Norwegian mathematician
- Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860–1904)Faroese physician and scientist of Icelandic descent
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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