Nils vs Nels

Baby Name Comparison — 2026

Nils

Boy #4,894 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"victory of the people"

Origin: Greek (Nikolaos)

Swedish Norwegian Danish Finnish Germanic

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Boy #5,445 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"champion, cloud"

Origin: Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian

Scandinavian Swedish Norwegian Danish American

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Nils Rank #4,894

Nels Rank #5,445

Nils is more popular, ranked #4894 vs #5445 for Nels.

Is Nils or Nels more popular?

Nils is more popular, ranked #4894 compared to Nels at #5445 in the United States.

What do Nils and Nels mean?

Nils means "victory of the people" (Greek (Nikolaos) origin). Nels means "champion, cloud" (Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian origin).

Are Nils and Nels boy or girl names?

Nils is primarily a boy name. Nels is primarily a boy name.