Niels

♂ Boy

Pronounced NEELS /ˈnils/High

Meaning: A Danish form of Nicholas — from Greek Nikolaos, 'victory of the people' (nike, 'victory', plus laos, 'the people')Low

In 30 seconds: Victory of the people: Niels is the Danish Nicholas — 'victory of the people'. Crisp, classic, and warm (said 'NEELS').

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Origin MediumGreek, Danish

MeaningA Danish form of Nicholas — from Greek Nikolaos, 'victory of the people' (nike, 'victory', plus laos, 'the people')

U.S. rank (2025)#6060 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births15 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1957

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,461

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Niels is a Danish form of Nicholas — from the Greek Nikolaos, 'victory of the people' (nike, 'victory', plus laos, 'the people'). Borne by the great physicist Niels Bohr. A crisp, classic Scandinavian name (said 'NEELS'; nickname Niel).

In the U.S. it appears in Danish families. Rare, victory-of-the-people at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Nicholas means 'victory of the people' in Greek (nike, 'victory', plus laos, 'the people') — Niels is its crisp Danish form, borne by the physicist Niels Bohr (said 'NEELS').

Overall data confidence 58%

References — Niels — Danish form of Nicholas

Variations

NicholasNilsNielsen

Nicknames

Niel

Famous Bearers

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If you like Niels…

Nils— a kin Scandinavian form

Niall— a sound-neighbor Ni- boys' name

Klaus— a fellow Nicholas-rooted European boys' name

Anders— another Scandinavian boys' name

Explore names like Niels

By themegreek danish

By meaningVictory

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Niels mean?

Niels is the Danish Nicholas — Greek 'victory of the people'.

How do you pronounce Niels?

It's said NEELS /ˈnils/ — one syllable.

Is Niels a boy or girl name?

Niels is a boy's name.

How popular is Niels?

Niels is a rare name in the U.S.