Nils — Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Nils is a boys' name of Scandinavian/Nicholas origin, meaning "victory of the people". The Scandinavian Nick — Nils Holgersson's goose-riding adventures.

Style & feel. With scandinavian and short on its style card, Nils sits comfortably in the modern naming landscape — familiar enough that nobody misreads it, distinctive enough that your child won't share it with three classmates. At 1 syllable, it flows across most middle-name combinations and survives every life stage from playground to résumé.

Pairing ideas. Nils pairs naturally with one- and two-syllable middles (Hans, Anders share its sound-world). If you like Nils, you'll probably also love Hans, Anders, Soren — same era, same energy, same bone structure.