Nakyla
From Nikata, an Arabic name meaning delicate or graceful.
Name Census estimates that about 419 living Americans carry the first name Nakyla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nakyla today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nakyla births was 2007 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nakyla. 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.
People living today
419
~ 1 in 818,029 Americans
Peak year
2007
33 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,894
Tracked since 1996
Census
Nakyla in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 322 people with the first name Nakyla, which placed it at #28,067 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
#28,067
National first-name rank
People counted
322
322 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
80.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nakyla
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nakyla is Black at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.9%) and White (5.6%). 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 Nakyla 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 Nakyla at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.1% · 258
- Two or more races9.9% · 32
- White5.6% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Popularity
Nakyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nakyla from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 257 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nakyla 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 Nakyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nakylas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nakyla
The name Nakyla is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was prominent in ancient India and surrounding regions. It is thought to be derived from the word "nakshatra," which refers to the celestial stars or constellations in Hindu astrology.
The earliest recorded use of the name Nakyla can be traced back to the 8th century CE, when it appeared in various Sanskrit texts and inscriptions. During this time, the name was primarily associated with the Hindu tradition and was often given to children born under certain auspicious celestial alignments.
In ancient Hindu mythology, there are references to the name Nakyla being associated with the goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. This association may have contributed to the name's popularity and its perceived connection to auspiciousness and good luck.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Nakyla was a renowned Indian scholar and poet who lived during the 9th century CE. Her works, which focused on devotional poetry and philosophical teachings, were widely celebrated and influential in her time.
Another notable figure named Nakyla was a skilled artisan and sculptor from the 12th century CE, renowned for her intricate carvings and sculptures adorning various temples and monuments across India. Her works were praised for their exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.
In the 15th century, there was a Nakyla who gained recognition as a skilled musician and composer, contributing significantly to the development of Indian classical music. Her compositions and performances were widely celebrated and influential in the musical traditions of the time.
During the 16th century, a woman named Nakyla served as a trusted advisor and confidante to a prominent Indian ruler. Her wisdom and counsel were highly valued, and she played a crucial role in shaping important decisions and policies of the era.
In the 18th century, a poet and writer named Nakyla gained renown for her powerful and evocative works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. Her literary contributions were widely acclaimed and continue to be studied and celebrated to this day.
People
Nakyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nakyla 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
Nakyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nakyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 419 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nakyla 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 818,029 US residents.
Is Nakyla a common name?
We classify Nakyla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 425 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nakyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Nakyla was 2007, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nakyla is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nakyla in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 322 people with the name Nakyla, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #28,067 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 Nakyla 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 Nakyla?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nakyla appears almost entirely female. Of the 325 people counted with this name, 100.0% 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 Nakyla?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nakyla is Black at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.9%) and White (5.6%). 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 Nakyla most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Nakyla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (258 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 Nakyla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nakyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nakyla 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 Nakyla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nakyla 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 Nakyla 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 people are named Nakyla?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.