Given name
Nils
“of the victorious people”
Nils is a variant of Nels. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Nils is a variant of Nels. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Nils is a variant of Nels. An origin associated with Nels is Scandinavian. Nils is a form of Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Swedish use, Nils is used as a form of Nicholas.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1888. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Nils 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
Nils through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,083
- 3,083 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 48 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #4,993 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,993 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 10.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 48 in 1970. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,741 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.
Nils’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Nils has a diminutive in Nisse. In Norwegian usage, Nils shares a linguistic root with the English form Nicholas. In Norwegian usage, Nils has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Nicola.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nils has relatives in 11 languages.
13 related names in 11 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 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 40
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Nicholascognate · English
- Nicolasequivalent
- Nikolasequivalent
- Nilesequivalent
- Nikolaosequivalent
- NicolaItalian
- Nikolausequivalent
- Nikolayequivalent
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Nilequivalent
- Nikosequivalent
- Mykolaequivalent
- Nicolaasequivalent
- Niiloequivalent
- Nicolaeequivalent
- Nikolajequivalent
- Nicolinoequivalent
- Nicolauequivalent
- Nicolòequivalent
- Nisequivalent
- Nilsen“son of” surname · Norwegian
- НиколайRussian
- НилRussian
- Νικόλαοςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- NicolásSpanish
- Nilsinefeminine form · Norwegian
- MikulášCzech
- Nikolajsequivalent
- Níelsequivalent
- Миколаequivalent
- Mikolaequivalent
- Mikołajequivalent
- Nikolajusequivalent
- Nikolazequivalent
- Νίκοςequivalent
- Niilasequivalent
- Nicolaesequivalent
- Niccolòequivalent
- Nicolayequivalent
- Miklósequivalent
- Nickelequivalent
People named Nils
- Gustaf DalénSwedish Nobel Laureate and industrialist (1869–1937)
- Adolf Erik NordenskiöldFinland Swedish baron, geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer (1832–1901)
- Ola ToivonenSwedish footballer (born 1986)
- Nils LiedholmSwedish footballer and manager (1922-2007)
- Lennart Johanssonindustrialist, Swedish football administrator, president of UEFA (1990 - 2007)1929–2019
- Nils PetersenGerman association football playerborn 1988
- Nils EdénSwedish 20th century prime minister (1871-1945)
- Nils van der PoelSwedish speed skaterborn 1996
- Anders TegnellSwedish physician and civil servantborn 1956
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nils, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nick
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Nicholaus
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Spyros
“one who transports goods; a basket”
>99% boys
Nichols
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Spiro
“one who transports goods; a basket”
>99% boys
Nicko
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Nicanor
“a conqueror” · “of the victorious army”
>99% boys
Spiros
“one who transports goods; a basket”
>99% boys