UK boy's name
Niels
A masculine Danish name derived from a Norman French version of Nicholas.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Niels is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Niels popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4023, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 7 births.
This profile covers 37 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 1998 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 37 living people in the UK are called Niels. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Niels ranked #4023 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 7 boys were registered as Niels.
- • About 37 living people in the UK are estimated to have Niels as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4023
2016
Births in 2016
4
Latest year
Peak year
1998
7 births
Estimated living
37
2026
Meaning
What does Niels mean?
The name Niels is a Danish and Norwegian form of the name Nicholas, which has its origins in the Greek name Nikolaos. Nikolaos is derived from the words "niko" meaning "victory" and "laos" meaning "people." The name Niels is thought to have emerged around the 13th century in Scandinavia.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Niels can be found in the 14th century Danish chronicle Rydårbogen, which mentions a man named Niels Bugge. Additionally, the name appears in various medieval Nordic texts and records.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Niels, one notable example is Niels Stensen (1638-1686), a Danish scientist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of anatomy and paleontology. Another prominent individual was Niels Bohr (1885-1962), a Danish physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his work on atomic structure and quantum theory.
Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829) was a Norwegian mathematician who made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of algebra and calculus, despite his tragically short life. His work laid the foundations for modern algebraic geometry.
In the world of exploration, Niels Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832-1901) was a Finnish-Swedish explorer and scientist who led the first successful expedition to navigate the Northeast Passage, a sea route along the northern coast of Eurasia.
Another noteworthy figure was Niels Gade (1817-1890), a Danish composer and violinist who played a significant role in the development of Romantic-era music in Scandinavia, particularly with his symphonic works.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Niels over time
The chart below shows babies named Niels registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Niels, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2016, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Niels by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Niels was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4351 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3311 | 23 | 6 |
| 1990s | #1642 | 7 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Niels
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Niels: questions and answers
How popular is the name Niels in the UK right now?
In 2016, Niels was ranked #4023 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Niels most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 7 babies registered as Niels in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Niels?
A masculine Danish name derived from a Norman French version of Nicholas.
How many people are called Niels in the UK?
A total of 37 babies have been registered as Niels across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.