How Many People Are Named Nael?

An estimated 1,227 people in the United States have the first name Nael. It is predominantly male (96.4%). The average bearer is 9 years old, and Nael peaked in popularity in 2024 with 221 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Nael as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Nael paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • Nael is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 9, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.

Estimated Living Americans

1,227

About 1 in 279,343 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Male

96.4% confidence

Average Age

9

years old

Peak Year

2024

221 births

Total Registered

1,238

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Nael

Nael is predominantly male (96.4%), though 44 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 1,194 (96.4%)
Female 44 (3.6%)

Nael as a male name

Ranked #1,036 in 2024

214 male births in 2024

Peak: 2024 (214 births)

Nael as a female name

Ranked #13,019 in 2024

7 female births in 2024

Peak: 2015 (13 births)

Nael in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 836 people with the first name Nael, which placed it at #14,176 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Nael was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 836 people with this name in that snapshot, 94.1% were male and 5.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 96.4% of the time.

Census Count

836

people with this name

Census Rank

#14,176

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.28

per 100,000 people

Male 787 (94.1%)
Female 49 (5.9%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Nael was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (47.01%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (25.24%) and Black (15.19%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Nael in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
47.01%
Black
15.19%
Hispanic
25.24%
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.25%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.24%
Two or More Races
4.07%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Nael.

Group Share Count
White 47.01% 393
Hispanic 25.24% 211
Black 15.19% 127
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.25% 69
Two or More Races 4.07% 34
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24% 2

Nael: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Nael span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 6 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2020s, when 705 babies were registered. Nael remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.

Male
Female
0 44 88 133 177 221 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Nael by Decade

How has Nael tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1970s 11 11 0
1980s 26 26 0
1990s 52 52 0
2000s 112 112 0
2010s 332 308 24
2020s 705 685 20

Nael by State

Birth registrations for Nael span all 18 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, New York. The lowest are in Washington, Minnesota, Kentucky. On average, about 31 Naels were registered per state.

Nael + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Nael as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Nael: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Nael?

We estimate approximately 1,227 people named Nael are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 279,343 Americans share this first name.

Is Nael a common name?

Nael is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 91.3% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,238 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Nael most popular?

Nael reached peak popularity in 2024, when 221 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Nael is approximately 9 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Nael in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 836 people with the first name Nael. That placed it at #14,176 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.28 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Nael was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Nael?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Nael was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 94.1% male and 5.9% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Nael?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Nael was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (47.01%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (25.24%) and Black (15.19%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Nael a male name?

Nael is predominantly male. 96.4% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Nael have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Nael peaked in 2024, and the average living bearer is about 9 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Nael Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Nael Smith, Nael Johnson, Nael Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination