Fun Facts About the Name Nihal
- More than 1 thousand babies named Nihal: U.S. records list 1,063 babies given the name Nihal from 1880 through 2025. Even 238 girls received the name Nihal - about 1 girl for every 3 boys.
What Does the Name Nihal Mean?
Nihal is a given name with three separate origins. The Turkish name comes from Persian nahāl (نهال), "sapling" or "young tree," and is used in Turkish, often for women. In Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi, Nihal (निहाल, نہال) means "happy," "glad," or "prosperous" and is usually a masculine name in South Asia. That South Asian word is often explained as coming from Persian nīk-hāl, from nīk "good" and hāl "state, condition," though the etymology is not certain. In Arabic, the similar-looking nihāl (نِهَال) is linked to nahl, "bees," and appears as a female name; this is a separate homonym, not a variant of the Persian or South Asian name.
Nihal Name History & Origins
The Turkish name developed from Persian nahāl (نهال), "sapling" or "young tree." Ottoman Turkish borrowed the Persian noun, and from it the given name Nihal emerged; Turkish Nihal corresponds to Persian nahāl. The Turkish writer Nihal Atsız is a male example, while in modern Turkish the name is often feminine.
The South Asian name has a different route. Hindi and Urdu nihāl (निहाल, نہال) is an adjective meaning "happy," "glad," or "prosperous." It is often connected with Persian nīk-hāl ("good state"), but because Persian also has nahāl "sapling," the two forms are easily confused in name dictionaries. In South Asia, Nihal is used by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs and is usually masculine, as in the Sikh name pattern Nihal Singh.
Arabic nihāl (نِهَال) is a separate homonym. It is linked to nahl, "bees," and appears as a female given name in Arabic-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Nihal?
Nihal has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #2,875 in 2014.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,721 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #7,471 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #13,076 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #8,905 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #7,912 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #9,374 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #10,271 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #9,008 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #7,018 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #5,747 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2015 | #9,966 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #8,829 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #6,944 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #11,972 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #8,514 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #16,410 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,357 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #16,906 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #12,385 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #17,211 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #13,639 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,971 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 2024 | #3,024 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #3,599 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #4,255 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2021 | #3,106 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2020 | #4,504 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #3,406 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2018 | #3,677 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #3,174 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2016 | #3,100 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2015 | #2,899 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2014 | #2,875 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2013 | #3,168 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2012 | #3,604 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #3,576 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #3,870 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #3,796 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2008 | #4,108 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #4,085 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #5,001 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #3,069 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #3,199 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2003 | #4,568 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #5,632 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #3,589 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #4,167 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #5,567 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #9,295 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #8,943 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,683 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #6,261 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #7,384 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Nihal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Nihal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nihal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.