Nila

A sweet, simple Sanskrit name which would work in many languages and has an sparkling, colorful meaning.

Fitting in besides Nina, Mila and Nola, Nila was one of the fastest rising names for girls in the UK in 2022. Social media influencer Nila Nambiar may have brought new attention to the name, as could the Indian-Tamil TV series Nila which aired between 2019 and 2021.

Meaning "dark blue" in Sanskrit, Nila also means "moon" in Tamil, "water hyacinth" in Egyptian, and "river" from the Polish Nilus. Alternatively, parents may be using Nila as a variation of the modern invented name Nyla, for a more concise looking spelling, in tune with Lila.

Used steadily but quietly in the US, Nila is given to around 100 girls each year, though the name did feature in the Top 1000 back in the 1930s, when parents may have taken inspiration from radio director Nila Mack, who created the long-running series Let's Pretend. Mack's own name might have come about as a feminine form of Neil/Neal and as an alternative to the once popular Nealie.

Pronounced NEE-la.

As of October 2026, Nila ranked #1754 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #567 in 1935, Nameberry popularity #954.