Will my child share the name Nilan with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 16 UK babies named Nilan per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nilan in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Nilan becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Nilan is rising: up 322 places since 2020, to #1,613 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #1,461 in 2023.

Is Nilan a good choice for a distinctive name?

Nilan is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.

Is Nilan a popular baby name in the United States?

Nilan does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👦 Boy's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #1613

Nilan

🗳️ Add Nilan to a family shortlist

Nilan is a distinctive choice, ranked #1613 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Nilan in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#1613

About the Name Nilan

Nilan is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 3541 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #1461 in 2023 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been recorded in UK data since 2015.

Nilan is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Nilan in their class.

⭐ Famous People Named Nilan

Nilan de Silva — Nilan de Silva is a Sri Lankan former cricketer.
John Joseph Nilan — John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.
Patrick Nilan — Patrick Joseph Nilan OAM was an Australian field hockey player who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the name Nilan

UK babies named Nilan (2025)

< 1

Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)

~0.0

In a school of 600

↑ 322 places

Rank change (last 5 years)

🏫 Who else is in the room?

In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nilan

Almost certainly the only Nilan in the class

UK Popularity (2015–2025)

Rank and birth count · ONS official data

No US data available for this name

✨ Similar names to Nilan

Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story

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Famous People Named Nilan

Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia

Nilan de Silvab. 1971

Nilan de Silva is a Sri Lankan former cricketer.

John Joseph Nilan1934

John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

Patrick Nilan

Patrick Joseph Nilan OAM was an Australian field hockey player who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.