Nailea
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "succeeding" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 1,316 living Americans carry the first name Nailea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nailea today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nailea births was 2024 (113 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nailea. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Nailea is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 260,452 Americans
Peak year
2024
113 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,777
Tracked since 1988
Census
Nailea in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 778 people with the first name Nailea, which placed it at #14,944 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,944
National first-name rank
People counted
778
778 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
97.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nailea
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nailea is Hispanic at 97.0%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Nailea described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Nailea at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.0% · 755
- White1.2% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
- Two or more races0.3% · 2
Popularity
Nailea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nailea from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 544 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Nailea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nailea by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nailea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naileas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Nailea, while Indiana, Georgia, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 132 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nailea
The name Nailea has its origins in the Aztec language of Nahuatl, spoken by the indigenous people of central Mexico during the 15th and 16th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Nahuatl words "nalli" meaning "black" and "xochitl" meaning "flower," suggesting a meaning of "black flower" or "dark flower." This poetic name was likely inspired by the vibrant and diverse flora found in the region.
Despite its Aztec roots, the earliest recorded use of Nailea can be traced back to the 17th century in Spain, where it was adopted and adapted by Spanish settlers who had interactions with the Aztec people. The name appears in various historical documents from that time, including baptismal records and family genealogies.
One of the earliest notable individuals known to bear the name Nailea was Nailea de Guzmán, a Spanish noblewoman born in 1632 in Seville, Spain. She was a prominent figure in the local aristocracy and was known for her philanthropic endeavors, particularly her support for orphanages and education initiatives.
In the 18th century, Nailea Fernández, born in 1745 in Guadalajara, Mexico, gained recognition as a skilled weaver and textile artist. Her intricate tapestries and rugs were highly sought after by the wealthy elite of the time, and her work was even commissioned for churches and government buildings.
The 19th century saw the birth of Nailea Martínez, a Mexican writer and poet who was active in the literary circles of Mexico City. Born in 1822, she published several collections of poetry that explored themes of love, nature, and the struggles of women in her society.
Another notable figure was Nailea Hernández, born in 1879 in Havana, Cuba. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing one of the first schools for girls in Cuba and campaigning tirelessly for equal access to education and opportunities for women.
In more recent times, Nailea Velazquez, born in 1951 in Oaxaca, Mexico, made her mark as a talented artist and sculptor. Her works, which often incorporated elements of her indigenous heritage, were featured in galleries and exhibitions throughout Mexico and abroad, earning her critical acclaim and international recognition.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Nailea throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity.
People
Nailea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nailea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nailea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nailea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,316 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nailea going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 260,452 US residents.
Is Nailea a common name?
We classify Nailea as "Rare". It ranks above 91.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,332 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nailea most popular?
The single biggest year for Nailea was 2024, when 113 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nailea is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nailea in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 778 people with the name Nailea, or 0.26 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,944 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Nailea in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Nailea?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nailea appears almost entirely female. Of the 773 people counted with this name, 99.6% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Nailea?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nailea is Hispanic at 97.0%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Nailea most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Nailea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (755 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nailea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nailea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nailea in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Nailea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nailea in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nailea can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Nailea?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.