Girl · #5,177 in 2026

Nelle

Name: Popularity of the name Nelle in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Nelle, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Nelle is a given name, and may refer to:Nelle Benson, fictional character from General Hospital, an American soap opera on the ABC network Nelle G. Burger (1869-1957), American temperance leader Nelle A.

English

Current Rank

#5,177

Peak Rank

#175 (1917)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-3%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1917

Peak Year

#175

Peak Rank

Total Count

116

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nelle

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Nelle

American parents first put Nelle on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 65 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 169 Nelles were born — ranking #510 that year. The 1910s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 21% of all recorded Nelles. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #5,177 among baby girl names with 25 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 6K Nelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Nelle

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nelle. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Nelle

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nelle is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Nell
Knell
Nel
Knel
Null
Nil
Nill
Nul
Nle
Knill
Nulle
Nail

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelle

What does the name Nelle mean?

What is the origin of the name Nelle?

Nelle has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Nelle in 2026?

In 2026, Nelle ranks #5,177 among girls' names in the U.S., with 25 babies given the name that year.

When was Nelle most popular?

Nelle reached its peak popularity in 1917, ranking #175 that year with 169 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Nelle most popular?

Nelle has historically been most popular in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nelle.

Is Nelle a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Nelle is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Nelle?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nelle include Mina, Lilah, Karla. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Nelle?

Common variants and related forms of Nelle include Elaina, Elaine, Eleanor, Eleanora, Eleanore, Elena. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Nelle

Nelle is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Nelle's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #175. Use the chart and map above to compare Nelle's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.