Girl · #486 in 2026

Nellie

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

Current Rank

#486

Peak Rank

#14 (1918)

Total Babies

153K

5-Yr Trend

+89%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#14

Peak Rank

153K

Total Count

147

Years Active

The Story of Nellie

Nellie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 995 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 4,048 Nellies were born — ranking #65 that year. As of 2026, Nellie ranks #486 for baby girls with 628 births, rising sharply (+89% over the past five years). In total, more than 153K Nellies 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

Names that sound like Nellie

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nellie

What does the name Nellie mean?

Nellie is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Nellie in 2026?

In 2026, Nellie ranks #486 among girls' names in the U.S., with 628 babies given the name that year.

When was Nellie most popular?

Nellie reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #14 that year with 4,048 babies given the name.

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

Nellie has historically been most popular in Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nellie.

Is Nellie a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Nellie?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nellie include Martha, Rose, Eleanor. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nellie

Nellie is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 153K births in the dataset. Nellie's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #14. Use the chart and map above to compare Nellie'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.