Nilo is an Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese given name and surname, directly derived from the name of the Nile River. As a given name, it is a form of the Greek Neilos, which refers both to the river and to the Greek god of the Nile.Etymology and originsThe name ultimately traces back to the Greek Neilos, which itself may be of Semitic origin meaning 'river'. In Greek mythology, Neilos was the god of the Nile, son of Okeanos and Tethys. The name was also borne by early Christian saints: a 5th-century saint living in the Sinai Peninsula, and a 10th-century Byzantine saint, often called Nilus in English, who founded the monastery at Grottaferrata near Rome.Usage and distributionAs a name used in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish-speaking regions, Nilo is often given in honor of the River Nile or the saint. Variants include the Ukrainian Nil and the Latin form Nilus.Notable bearersSeveral notable individuals have borne the given name Nilo:Nilo Peçanha, a Brazilian politician who served as president of Brazil (1909–1910)Nilo Cruz, a Cuban-American playwright and pedagogueNilo Alcala, a Filipino composer and arrangerNilo Acuña, a Uruguayan footballerNilo Floody, a Chilean modern pentathleteNilo Guimarães, a São Toméan businessman and politicianAs a surname, it appears in figures such as Joy Nilo, a Filipino composer; Humberto Nilo, a director of the University of Chile school of arts; and Prisco Nilo, a Filipino meteorologist.Key factsMeaning: River (Nile), god of the NileOrigin: Greek via Italian, Portuguese, SpanishType: Given name and surnameUsage regions: Italy, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Philippines