Nilan is a South Asian name, used especially in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, that comes from the Sanskrit nila and means "blue" or "sapphire". Its sound happens to fit neatly between Dylan, Milan and Nolan, which makes it easy to wear in the United States. Nilan had fewer than five births in 2000, rose from number 7398 in 2015 to number 2250 in 2021 and stands at number 2916 in 2025 with 43 births.