Given name & surname
Niels
“the champion”·“of the victorious people”
Niels is a variant of Neil. One interpretation is “the champion.” Its derivation is not certain. Niels is a form of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Niels is a variant of Neil. One interpretation is “the champion.” Its derivation is not certain. Niels is a form of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Niels is a form of Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Danish and Dutch use, Niels is used as a form of Nicholas. In Dutch use, Niels is used as a shortened form of Cornelis.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Niels is a form of Nicholas. The history of Nicholas gives this family its wider story. Nicholas’s Christian associations include Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, about whom virtually nothing factual is known.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Niels through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,462
- 1,462 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 31 babies
- 2025
- 15
- #6,060 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 15 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,060 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 5.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 31 in 1957. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,397 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Niels’s family of names
Niels is a short form of Cornelis. Niels shares a linguistic root with Nicholas. Niels has a related form in Neil.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Niels has relatives in 10 languages.
10 related names in 10 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 38
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Nicholascognate · English
- Nicolasequivalent
- Nikolasequivalent
- Nilesequivalent
- Nikolaosequivalent
- NicolaItalian
- Nikolausequivalent
- Nikolayequivalent
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- Nikosequivalent
- Nicolaasequivalent
- Mykolaequivalent
- Nielequivalent
- Nicolinoequivalent
- Nicolauequivalent
- Nielsen“son of” surname · Danish
- Niiloequivalent
- Nicolaeequivalent
- Nikolajequivalent
- Nicolausroot · Latin
- Nikolazequivalent
- Nicolaesequivalent
- Nicolayequivalent
- Nickelequivalent
- Николайequivalent
- Nicolòequivalent
- Νικόλαοςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- NicolásSpanish
- Niisiborrowing · Greenlandic
- MikulášCzech
- Nikolajsequivalent
- Nílsequivalent
- Миколаequivalent
- Mikołajequivalent
- Nikolajusequivalent
- Nieleequivalent
- Νίκοςequivalent
- Niccolòequivalent
- Miklósequivalent
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Niels
- Niels BohrDanish physicist (1885–1962)
- Niels Henrik AbelNorwegian mathematician (1802–1829)
- Niels Ryberg FinsenFaroese physician and scientist of Icelandic descent1860–1904
- Niels Kaj JerneDanish immunologist1911–1994
- Nicolas StenoPioneer in anatomy and geology, bishop (1638–1686)
- Niels GadeDanish composer, conductor, violinist, organist and teacher (1817–1890)
- Niels ArestrupFrench actor, film director and screenwriter (1949–2024)
- Helge von KochSwedish mathematician (1870-1924)
- Niels NeergaardDanish politician (1854-1936)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Niels, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nick
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Rock
“one who is calm; restful”
>99% boys
Roch
“a glorious woman”
>99% boys
Denis
“a follower of Dionysus” · “follower of Dionysus”
94% boys · 6% girls
Rocke
“one who is calm; restful”
>99% boys
Fulgencio
“a shining man”
>99% boys
Quent
“the fifth-born child”
>99% boys
Jerome
“of the sacred name”
>99% boys