Girl · #1,263 in 2026

Nelly

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

Nelly and Nellie are female given names, also used as nicknames, which are derived from the names Helen, Ellen, Petronella, Danielle, Cornelia, Eleanor, Janelle, Chanelle, Penelope, Elizabeth, Rachel, Natalie or Noelia.

Current Rank

#1,263

Peak Rank

#596 (2007)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+38%

1882

First Year

2026

Last Year

2007

Peak Year

#596

Peak Rank

Total Count

136

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nelly

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

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

The Story of Nelly

Nelly first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1882, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 208 Nellys were born — ranking #1,205 that year. As of 2026, Nelly ranks #1,263 for baby girls with 183 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 8K Nellys 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 Nelly

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nelly 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 Nelly

What does the name Nelly mean?

How popular is Nelly in 2026?

In 2026, Nelly ranks #1,263 among girls' names in the U.S., with 183 babies given the name that year.

When was Nelly most popular?

Nelly reached its peak popularity in 2007, ranking #596 that year with 208 babies given the name.

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

Nelly has historically been most popular in New York, California, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nelly.

Is Nelly a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Nelly?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nelly include Alena, Glynis, Michell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nelly

Nelly is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 8K births in the dataset. Nelly's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #596. Use the chart and map above to compare Nelly'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.