Nelson
Nelson is an English, Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, Scots-Irish, and Scandinavian given name, more commonly used as a surname.
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
Meaning & Origin of Nelson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nelson is an English, Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, Scots-Irish, and Scandinavian given name, more commonly used as a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
The Story of Nelson
American parents first put Nelson on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 99 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 1,083 Nelsons were born — ranking #244 that year. As of 2026, Nelson ranks #839 for baby boys with 293 births, falling sharply (-20%). All told, over 80K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Nelson
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nelson. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Nélson
- Nilson
Names that sound like Nelson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nelson 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 Nelson
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In which U.S. states is Nelson most popular?
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About the name Nelson
Nelson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 80K births in the dataset. Nelson's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #134. Use the chart and map above to compare Nelson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.