Nellie
A pet form of Helen, Eleanor or Ellen.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Nellie appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1925. Its biggest year was 1918, when 4,048 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 65 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1881, at No. 14. In 2025 it ranked No. 533 for girls. All told, 153,284 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Nelly (7,871), Neely (2,630), Nealie (793), Nely (603) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Helen, Eleanor, Ellen
Explore Nellie interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 13,761 | No. 14 |
| 1890s | 17,285 | No. 20 |
| 1900s | 16,339 | No. 41 |
| 1910s | 30,879 | No. 51 |
| 1920s | 29,689 | No. 76 |
| 1930s | 17,703 | No. 113 |
| 1940s | 10,207 | No. 161 |
| 1950s | 5,360 | No. 283 |
| 1960s | 2,409 | No. 507 |
| 1970s | 1,479 | No. 836 |
| 1980s | 1,112 | No. 1034 |
| 1990s | 838 | No. 1347 |
| 2000s | 971 | No. 1742 |
| 2010s | 1,859 | No. 861 |
| 2020s | 2,800 | No. 521 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.