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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201930peak #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 1930

  • 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: #198 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,351 girlsWAIdaho: #164 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 690 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: #376 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 4,767 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWIMichigan: #294 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 3,004 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: 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: #266 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,342 girlsIAIndiana: #280 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,789 girlsINOhio: #465 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 7,442 girlsOHPennsylvania: #350 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 5,128 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #433 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,138 girlsCAUtah: #93 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 342 girlsUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCONebraska: #274 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,182 girlsNEMissouri: #261 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,995 girlsMOKentucky: #275 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,950 girlsKYWest Virginia: #337 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,062 girlsWVVirginia: #327 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,434 girlsVAMaryland: 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: #198 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 760 girlsNMKansas: #215 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,287 girlsKSArkansas: #374 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,708 girlsARTennessee: #313 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,686 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #447 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,911 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #169 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 767 girlsOKLouisiana: #251 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,323 girlsLAMississippi: #354 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,761 girlsMSAlabama: #258 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,762 girlsALGeorgia: #327 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,757 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedHITexas: #108 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 465 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Utah#93 · 1 in 342
  2. Texas#108 · 1 in 465
  3. Idaho#164 · 1 in 690
  4. Oklahoma#169 · 1 in 767
  5. New Mexico#198 · 1 in 760

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Utah#93141 in 342
Texas#1081281 in 465
Idaho#16451 in 690
Oklahoma#169311 in 767
New Mexico#19861 in 760
Washington#19871 in 1,351
Kansas#215111 in 1,287
Louisiana#251161 in 1,323
Alabama#258171 in 1,762
Missouri#261141 in 1,995
Iowa#26681 in 2,342
Nebraska#27451 in 2,182
Kentucky#275141 in 1,950
Indiana#28091 in 2,789
Michigan#294141 in 3,004
Tennessee#313101 in 2,686
Georgia#327111 in 2,757
Virginia#32771 in 3,434
West Virginia#33761 in 3,062
Pennsylvania#350161 in 5,128
Mississippi#35481 in 2,761
Arkansas#37471 in 2,708
Illinois#376121 in 4,767
California#43391 in 4,138
North Carolina#44761 in 5,911
Ohio#46571 in 7,442
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New York———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Wisconsin———
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 1930

girls
#317
434 births · 1 in 2,594 girls

Top girls' names in 1930

  1. #1Mary64,153
  2. #2Betty38,240
  3. #3Dorothy30,411
  4. #4Helen19,913
  5. #5Margaret18,350
  6. #6Barbara18,279
  7. #7Patricia15,751
  8. #8Joan15,478
  9. #9Doris15,464
  10. #10Ruth14,942
  11. #317Nelda434
More about 1930

girls

1,125,927 girls got a published name in 1930; 1 in 2,594 of them was named Nelda, which outranked 94.0% of the 5,247 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nelda
  1. #314Earline442
  2. #315Maryann440
  3. #316Isabelle437
  4. #317Nelda434
  5. #318Alta427
  6. #318Guadalupe427
  7. #320Robert426
Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. ↑ 701Claudette#1,642 → #941
  2. ↑ 583Ardeth#1,212 → #629
  3. ↑ 445Julianne#1,339 → #894
  4. ↑ 376Sonja#1,223 → #847
  5. ↑ 374Armida#1,174 → #800
Fallers
  1. ↓ 348Ingrid#941 → #1,289
  2. ↓ 315Coralie#895 → #1,210
  3. ↓ 229Elenor#981 → #1,210
  4. ↓ 229Mammie#981 → #1,210
  5. ↓ 226Sibyl#902 → #1,128

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

See the top 100 for 1930 →