Nelda

#9,457 for girls in 2025, 10 births · Last seen for boys in 1935 at #3,645
Given to girls >99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1939 · 546 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
20,139
since 1884

Nelda over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Nelda has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201926peak #264, 1939girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#9,45710—
2024#8,94611—
2023——
2022#12,2437—
2021——
2020——
2019#13,7996—
2018#13,7936—
2017#15,9025—
2016——
2015#14,4826—
2014#16,5135—
2013——
2012——
2011——
2010——
2009——
2008——
2007#15,4916—
2006#11,4179—
2005#11,8348—
2004#16,0995—
2003#9,67110—
2002#15,4325—
2001#12,0567—
2000#11,8017—
1999#9,4799—
1998#11,1387—
1997#8,33410—
1996#6,39214—
1995#8,07910—
1994#8,12210—
1993#8,05210—
1992#6,31414—
1991#9,3368—
1990#10,1937—
1989#3,78426—
1988#5,32115—
1987#3,52425—
1986#7,7498—
1985#4,45517—
1984#3,14427—
1983#2,91029—
1982#2,28843—
1981#2,77432—
1980#2,80032—
1979#2,18745—
1978#2,39037—
1977#2,34138—
1976#2,06042—
1975#1,68956—
1974#1,68854—
1973#1,93942—
1972#1,50263—
1971#1,29285—
1970#1,40774—
1969#1,17690—
1968#1,09095—
1967#1,07194—
1966#1,031101—
1965#876130—
1964#815165—
1963#801168—
1962#763186—
1961#701224—
1960#661235—
1959#671222—
1958#631242—
1957#574284—
1956#560280—
1955#476361—
1954#477350—
1953#485318—
1952#436387—
1951#423392—
1950#414375—
1949#370447—
1948#350490—
1947#371468—
1946#327521—
1945#319451—
1944#326435—
1943#311500—
1942#321464—
1941#270554—
1940#267540—
1939#264546—
1938#266567—
1937#274526—
1936#265524—
1935#281473#3,6455
1934#277493—
1933#277476—
1932#287468—
1931#310424—
1930#317434—
1929#332376—
1928#312440—
1927#320436—
1926#357349—
1925#384315—
1924#388312—
1923#439238—
1922#415251—
1921#459229—
1920#451224—
1919#554154—
1918#549164—
1917#494177—
1916#522158—
1915#518146—
1914#518117—
1913#59475—
1912#62063—
1911#62447—
1910#79429—
1909#69133—
1908#1,00416—
1907#74925—
1906#57837—
1905#71325—
1904#83719—
1903#86216—
1902#81818—
1901#74719—
1900#68827—
1899#1,03410—
1898#1,04711—
1897#98211—
1896#1,2138—
1895#93212—
1894#1,1368—
1893#1,0239—
1892——
1891#1,3325—
1890——
1889#9508—
1888#9598—
1887#9377—
1886——
1885——
1884#1,0245—
1883——
1882——
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1884

The first year at least five girls were named Nelda! It came in at #1,024, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1884–1886, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Nelda is popular in 1926

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNHWashington: #248 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,909 girlsWAIdaho: #129 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 501 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMNIllinois: #300 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 3,134 girlsILWisconsin: #352 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,745 girlsWIMichigan: #331 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,722 girlsMINew York: #702 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 19,713 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedSDIowa: #224 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,656 girlsIAIndiana: #268 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,613 girlsINOhio: #322 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,622 girlsOHPennsylvania: #393 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 6,536 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCAUtah: #126 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 483 girlsUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCONebraska: #238 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,616 girlsNEMissouri: #247 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,681 girlsMOKentucky: #281 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,036 girlsKYWest Virginia: #272 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,996 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNMKansas: #233 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,529 girlsKSArkansas: #479 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,126 girlsARTennessee: #485 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,431 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #378 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,267 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #192 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 926 girlsOKLouisiana: #336 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,382 girlsLAMississippi: #312 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,156 girlsMSAlabama: #320 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,710 girlsALGeorgia: #415 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,531 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedHITexas: #213 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 1,013 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Utah#126 · 1 in 483
  2. Idaho#129 · 1 in 501
  3. Oklahoma#192 · 1 in 926
  4. Texas#213 · 1 in 1,013
  5. Iowa#224 · 1 in 1,656

Best ever in a state: #51 in Texas, 1938.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Utah#126101 in 483
Idaho#12971 in 501
Oklahoma#192271 in 926
Texas#213591 in 1,013
Iowa#224121 in 1,656
Kansas#233101 in 1,529
Nebraska#23871 in 1,616
Missouri#247181 in 1,681
Washington#24851 in 1,909
Indiana#268101 in 2,613
West Virginia#272101 in 1,996
Kentucky#281141 in 2,036
Illinois#300191 in 3,134
Mississippi#312111 in 2,156
Alabama#320121 in 2,710
Ohio#322151 in 3,622
Michigan#331111 in 3,722
Louisiana#336101 in 2,382
Wisconsin#35251 in 4,745
North Carolina#37891 in 4,267
Pennsylvania#393141 in 6,536
Georgia#41571 in 4,531
Arkansas#47951 in 4,126
Tennessee#48551 in 5,431
New York#70251 in 19,713
Alaska———
Arizona———
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Colorado———
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Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Nelda
Momentum · girls
Brand new
  • 511 spots since 2024 (#8,946 → #9,457)
  • 5,025 spots since 2015 (#14,482 → #9,457)
  • Biggest jump: 346 spots in 1900 (#1,034 → #688)
  • Biggest drop: 281 spots in 1896 (#932 → #1,213)
Rise & fade · girls
55 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1884
  • Peaked 1939 at #264 (546 births)
  • Births halved by 1958, 19 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 70 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 70 yrs · run 1909–1965
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,946
  • Highest: 1 in 1,946 girls born in 1938 were named Nelda (0.05%)
  • Latest: 1 in 160,727 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #264 in 1939, was only 1 in 2,008 (0.05%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1930s
  • 24.5% of all girls named Nelda (4,931) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s28#937 (1887)#968
1890s74#932 (1895)#1,087
1900s235#578 (1906)#769
1910s1,130#494 (1917)#579
1920s3,170#312 (1928)#386
1930s4,931#264 (1939)#282
1940s4,870#267 (1940)#323
1950s3,211#414 (1950)#515
1960s1,488#661 (1960)#899
1970s536#1,292 (1971)#1,850
1980s254#2,288 (1982)#3,875
1990s99#6,314 (1992)#8,544
2000s57#9,671 (2003)#12,975
2010s28#13,793 (2018)#14,898
2020s28#8,946 (2024)#10,215

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Nelda in 1926

girls
#357
349 births · 1 in 3,397 girls

Top girls' names in 1926

  1. #1Mary67,832
  2. #2Dorothy36,618
  3. #3Betty32,964
  4. #4Helen26,886
  5. #5Margaret23,072
  6. #6Ruth20,225
  7. #7Doris16,295
  8. #8Virginia16,161
  9. #9Mildred13,547
  10. #10Frances13,355
  11. #357Nelda349
More about 1926

girls

1,185,401 girls got a published name in 1926; 1 in 3,397 of them was named Nelda, which outranked 93.6% of the 5,622 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nelda
  1. #354Zelma356
  2. #355Eddie350
  3. #355Pearlie350
  4. #357Nelda349
  5. #357Christina349
  6. #357Dollie349
  7. #360Aline348
  8. #361Cornelia347
  9. #362Lily344

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1925
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,047Janell#1,795 → #748
  2. ↑ 389Madalyn#1,225 → #836
  3. ↑ 382Evangelina#1,324 → #942
  4. ↑ 379Carla#1,252 → #873
  5. ↑ 351Vilma#1,020 → #669
Fallers
  1. ↓ 597Albertine#944 → #1,541
  2. ↓ 462Cleora#895 → #1,357
  3. ↓ 461Lorrayne#988 → #1,449
  4. ↓ 453Hermina#996 → #1,449
  5. ↓ 307Ethelene#913 → #1,220

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1926 →