According to mythology, the name "Nimar" was derived from the word "Nimarya" , which signifies that the land had belonged to both the Aryas and the non-Aryas. However, according to another myth, the word "Nimar" has been associated with the place due to the presence of a large number of Neem trees.
At different times in history, the area was ruled by the Kingdoms of Haihayas of Maheshwar, Parmar of Malwa, Aheer ofAsirgarh, Muslims of Mandav, Peshwa, Mughals and Marathas. After the formation of the state of Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956, the district came into existence as West Nimar. Later (on 25 May 1998) due to certain administrative needs, the district was divided between Khargone and Barwani.
The population of the district was estimated to be about 410,587, according to the census of India 2011
