NameCensus.
Very Rare

Nyila

A feminine name of Philippine origin meaning "bamboo shoot".

Name Census estimates that about 58 living Americans carry the first name Nyila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nyila today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyila births was 2011 (10 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyila. 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

  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nyila. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

58

~ 1 in 5,909,558 Americans

Peak year

2011

10 babies that year

Average age

15

years old

2018 SSA rank

#13,444

Tracked since 2002

Popularity

Nyila: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Nyila from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 37 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.

Babies born per year

035810200520102015

Decades

Nyila 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 Nyila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2000s02222
2010s03737

Origin

Meaning and history of Nyila

The name Nyila is believed to have originated from the Khoi language spoken by the Khoikhoi people, an ethnic group indigenous to southwestern Africa. Khoi is a language family that includes several dialects spoken in parts of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. The name Nyila is thought to be derived from the Khoi word "nyi," which means "to hunt" or "to stalk," and "la," meaning "in" or "at."

In ancient Khoikhoi culture, hunting was a crucial aspect of life, and names related to hunting were often given to children. The name Nyila may have been bestowed upon individuals who demonstrated exceptional hunting skills or were born during a particularly successful hunting season.

While there are no known historical references to the name Nyila in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Khoikhoi people. These tales and stories were passed down through generations, preserving the cultural heritage and naming traditions of the Khoikhoi.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Nyila was a renowned Khoikhoi hunter who lived in the 17th century. His exceptional tracking and hunting abilities were celebrated among his people, and stories of his exploits were shared widely. Unfortunately, historical records from that time period do not provide specific details about his birth or death dates.

Another notable figure with the name Nyila was a Khoikhoi chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his leadership and diplomatic skills, negotiating peaceful coexistence between his people and European settlers in the Cape Colony. His birth and death dates are not precisely documented, but he is believed to have lived between 1750 and 1820.

In the early 20th century, a Khoikhoi woman named Nyila became a respected elder and storyteller within her community. She was born around 1890 and played a vital role in preserving the oral traditions and cultural heritage of her people until her passing in the late 1970s.

Another individual with the name Nyila was a Khoikhoi artist and craftsperson who lived in the mid-20th century. She was renowned for her intricate beadwork and traditional designs, which she used to create beautiful jewelry and accessories. While her exact birth and death dates are unknown, she is believed to have been active between the 1940s and 1970s.

In more recent times, a Namibian activist and educator named Nyila has gained recognition for her efforts in promoting indigenous rights and preserving Khoikhoi language and culture. She was born in 1965 and has dedicated her life to empowering her community and raising awareness about the challenges faced by indigenous peoples.

People

Nyila + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Nyila 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

Nyila: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Nyila?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 58 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyila 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 5,909,558 US residents.

Is Nyila a common name?

We classify Nyila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 59 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Nyila most popular?

The single biggest year for Nyila was 2011, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyila is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

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 Nyila in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Nyila a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyila 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 Nyila still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyila 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 Nyila 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.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.

How many Americans are named Nyila?

See how many Americans are named Nyila on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.

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Nyila

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