Nieves
Primarily a girl's name of Spanish origin with 986 recorded births. Also given to 595 boys.
Meaning & Origin
A surname from Spanish.
Nieves is a girl's and boy's baby name of Spanish origin, from the Spanish nieves, meaning 'snows' or 'snowy,' used in the religious title Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows), a Marian devotion. It is given in honor of the Virgin Mary.
Common in Spain and Latin America, Nieves has a crisp, wintery purity about it — a name that evokes both the sacred and the natural world. It's an example of how deeply Catholic naming traditions have produced some of the most poetic given names in the Spanish-speaking world.
EtymologyShow more
Though Nieves dates back to 1901 in U.S. records, its etymological path is not always straightforward. Names that predate modern naming databases sometimes resist easy classification — they may have been oral traditions, regional family names, or adaptations that were never systematically recorded. The Spanish classification provides a starting point, but the full derivation likely involves more nuance than a single label can capture.
Nieves’s 986 recorded births provide enough of a footprint to establish it as a real, chosen name in American culture — not a typo or a one-off, but a deliberate selection by hundreds of families.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Nieves has 98+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1901.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 37 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 106 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 76 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 114 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 60 | — |
| 1960s | 61 | — |
| 1950s | 67 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 83 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 118 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 183 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 71 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 10 | — |
The Story of Nieves
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1926, Nieves is a name steeped in history. Girls named Nieves are most likely born between 1916 and 1936.
How rare is Nieves?
With 986 total births on record, Nieves remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1901, peaked in the 1920s with 183 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Nieves by the numbers
- Would fill 21 school buses
- Meeting one Nieves per day would take 2.7 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(98 years, 1901–2017)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 | #13712 |
| 2016 | 5 | #18115 |
| 2015 | 5 | #18389 |
| 2014 | 8 | #12765 |
| 2013 | 7 | #14216 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18799 |
| 2009 | 6 | #16703 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10597 |
| 2007 | 5 | #19712 |
| 2006 | 11 | #10419 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10712 |
| 2004 | 17 | #7013 |
| 2003 | 13 | #8351 |
| 2002 | 12 | #8676 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6882 |
| 2000 | 5 | #16843 |
| 1999 | 12 | #8079 |
| 1998 | 7 | #12026 |
| 1997 | 7 | #11734 |
| 1996 | 6 | #12982 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Nieves as a Boy's Name
Though more common for girls, Nieves has a notable history as a boy's name too, with 595 births since 1913.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nieves a boy's or girl's name?
When was Nieves most popular?
How popular is the name Nieves?
Can Nieves be used for both boys and girls?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1901–2017