Nell
- #1,622 for girls in 2025, 128 births
- Last seen for boys in 1977 at #5,123
- Given to girls 99.6% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1886 · 175 births
- Debut · girls
- 77 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 27,612since 1880
Nell over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Nell has never cracked the top 100 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,622 | 128 | — | |
| 2024 | #1,457 | 150 | — | |
| 2023 | #1,669 | 124 | — | |
| 2022 | #1,742 | 119 | — | |
| 2021 | #2,007 | 96 | — | |
| 2020 | #2,257 | 79 | — | |
| 2019 | #1,773 | 115 | — | |
| 2018 | #2,457 | 72 | — | |
| 2017 | #2,184 | 87 | — | |
| 2016 | #2,539 | 70 | — | |
| 2015 | #2,846 | 61 | — | |
| 2014 | #3,652 | 42 | — | |
| 2013 | #3,513 | 44 | — | |
| 2012 | #4,486 | 32 | — | |
| 2011 | #4,466 | 32 | — | |
| 2010 | #5,602 | 24 | — | |
| 2009 | #4,805 | 30 | — | |
| 2008 | #6,559 | 20 | — | |
| 2007 | #5,709 | 24 | — | |
| 2006 | #4,685 | 30 | — | |
| 2005 | #4,828 | 27 | — | |
| 2004 | #6,216 | 19 | — | |
| 2003 | #5,235 | 23 | — | |
| 2002 | #5,086 | 23 | — | |
| 2001 | #3,703 | 35 | — | |
| 2000 | #4,291 | 28 | — | |
| 1999 | #3,804 | 31 | — | |
| 1998 | #3,648 | 32 | — | |
| 1997 | #3,547 | 32 | — | |
| 1996 | #3,237 | 36 | — | |
| 1995 | #5,221 | 18 | — | |
| 1994 | #5,016 | 19 | — | |
| 1993 | #4,998 | 19 | — | |
| 1992 | #4,849 | 20 | — | |
| 1991 | #4,650 | 21 | — | |
| 1990 | #3,436 | 31 | — | |
| 1989 | #4,020 | 24 | — | |
| 1988 | #3,690 | 25 | — | |
| 1987 | #3,169 | 29 | — | |
| 1986 | #3,757 | 22 | — | |
| 1985 | #3,517 | 24 | — | |
| 1984 | #3,069 | 28 | — | |
| 1983 | #2,910 | 29 | — | |
| 1982 | #3,093 | 28 | — | |
| 1981 | #3,625 | 22 | — | |
| 1980 | #2,391 | 40 | — | |
| 1979 | #2,525 | 36 | — | |
| 1978 | #3,009 | 26 | — | |
| 1977 | #3,002 | 26 | #5,123 | 6 |
| 1976 | #2,728 | 28 | — | |
| 1975 | #2,357 | 34 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,961 | 43 | — | |
| 1973 | #1,939 | 42 | — | |
| 1972 | #2,222 | 34 | — | |
| 1971 | #2,247 | 35 | — | |
| 1970 | #2,203 | 36 | — | |
| 1969 | #2,023 | 38 | — | |
| 1968 | #2,126 | 32 | — | |
| 1967 | #2,212 | 29 | — | |
| 1966 | #2,147 | 30 | — | |
| 1965 | #1,887 | 37 | — | |
| 1964 | #1,635 | 49 | — | |
| 1963 | #1,547 | 53 | — | |
| 1962 | #1,757 | 42 | — | |
| 1961 | #1,360 | 67 | — | |
| 1960 | #1,181 | 85 | — | |
| 1959 | #1,208 | 78 | — | |
| 1958 | #1,129 | 88 | — | |
| 1957 | #1,173 | 81 | — | |
| 1956 | #988 | 106 | — | |
| 1955 | #1,020 | 97 | — | |
| 1954 | #916 | 110 | — | |
| 1953 | #782 | 137 | — | |
| 1952 | #800 | 128 | — | |
| 1951 | #741 | 140 | — | |
| 1950 | #681 | 157 | — | |
| 1949 | #745 | 132 | — | |
| 1948 | #613 | 182 | — | |
| 1947 | #624 | 181 | — | |
| 1946 | #568 | 197 | — | |
| 1945 | #537 | 184 | — | |
| 1944 | #544 | 176 | — | |
| 1943 | #496 | 225 | — | |
| 1942 | #459 | 261 | — | |
| 1941 | #440 | 240 | — | |
| 1940 | #393 | 296 | — | |
| 1939 | #409 | 271 | #3,480 | 5 |
| 1938 | #356 | 331 | — | |
| 1937 | #360 | 321 | — | |
| 1936 | #331 | 351 | — | |
| 1935 | #318 | 390 | #3,252 | 6 |
| 1934 | #302 | 427 | — | |
| 1933 | #286 | 443 | #2,542 | 9 |
| 1932 | #284 | 483 | — | |
| 1931 | #294 | 456 | — | |
| 1930 | #294 | 511 | — | |
| 1929 | #296 | 489 | — | |
| 1928 | #301 | 498 | #3,697 | 6 |
| 1927 | #282 | 562 | #3,780 | 6 |
| 1926 | #291 | 531 | — | |
| 1925 | #266 | 627 | — | |
| 1924 | #261 | 635 | #4,347 | 5 |
| 1923 | #257 | 624 | #4,239 | 5 |
| 1922 | #257 | 647 | #3,532 | 7 |
| 1921 | #238 | 760 | — | |
| 1920 | #256 | 661 | — | |
| 1919 | #248 | 666 | #3,115 | 8 |
| 1918 | #246 | 687 | #2,882 | 9 |
| 1917 | #220 | 766 | — | |
| 1916 | #226 | 722 | #3,177 | 7 |
| 1915 | #228 | 689 | — | |
| 1914 | #232 | 530 | — | |
| 1913 | #211 | 491 | #2,092 | 8 |
| 1912 | #218 | 422 | — | |
| 1911 | #220 | 322 | — | |
| 1910 | #202 | 318 | #1,421 | 6 |
| 1909 | #207 | 277 | — | |
| 1908 | #192 | 288 | — | |
| 1907 | #201 | 261 | — | |
| 1906 | #197 | 241 | — | |
| 1905 | #201 | 229 | — | |
| 1904 | #200 | 226 | — | |
| 1903 | #203 | 206 | — | |
| 1902 | #185 | 247 | — | |
| 1901 | #199 | 205 | — | |
| 1900 | #198 | 256 | #1,310 | 5 |
| 1899 | #199 | 192 | — | |
| 1898 | #186 | 246 | — | |
| 1897 | #189 | 209 | — | |
| 1896 | #187 | 215 | — | |
| 1895 | #170 | 247 | — | |
| 1894 | #181 | 215 | — | |
| 1893 | #188 | 187 | — | |
| 1892 | #171 | 216 | — | |
| 1891 | #175 | 190 | — | |
| 1890 | #160 | 221 | — | |
| 1889 | #156 | 194 | — | |
| 1888 | #159 | 188 | — | |
| 1887 | #168 | 146 | — | |
| 1886 | #144 | 175 | — | |
| 1885 | #151 | 151 | — | |
| 1884 | #162 | 120 | — | |
| 1883 | #153 | 116 | — | |
| 1882 | #159 | 103 | — | |
| 1881 | #175 | 75 | — | |
| 1880 | #169 | 77 | — | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Nell was already there! It came in at #169, and was given to 77 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1991–1995, when fewer than 22 girls a year got the name.
Where Nell is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Massachusetts#682 · 1 in 3,433
- Colorado#703 · 1 in 3,332
- Illinois#797 · 1 in 4,030
- New Jersey#846 · 1 in 4,438
- Washington#915 · 1 in 4,810
Best ever in a state: #63 in Tennessee, 1913.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | #682 | 7 | 1 in 3,433 |
| Colorado | #703 | 7 | 1 in 3,332 |
| Illinois | #797 | 11 | 1 in 4,030 |
| New Jersey | #846 | 8 | 1 in 4,438 |
| Washington | #915 | 6 | 1 in 4,810 |
| Tennessee | #983 | 6 | 1 in 5,346 |
| Pennsylvania | #1,231 | 6 | 1 in 7,781 |
| New York | #1,235 | 11 | 1 in 7,121 |
| Florida | #1,887 | 6 | 1 in 14,460 |
| California | #2,276 | 8 | 1 in 20,216 |
| Texas | #2,386 | 8 | 1 in 20,068 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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 Nell
Momentum · girls
Rising
- 165 spots since 2024 (#1,457 → #1,622)
- 635 spots since 2020 (#2,257 → #1,622)
- Biggest jump: 64 spots in 1950
- Biggest drop: 185 spots in 1957
Rise & fade · girls
6 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1886 at #144 (175 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 71 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 76 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 76 yrs · run 1880–1954
Share of babies · girls
1 in 826
- Highest: 1 in 826 girls born in 1886 were named Nell (0.12%)
- Latest: 1 in 12,557 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 21.9% of all girls named Nell (6,034) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,345 | #144 (1886) | #160 |
| 1890s | 2,138 | #160 (1890) | #181 |
| 1900s | 2,436 | #185 (1902) | #198 |
| 1910s | 5,613 | #202 (1910) | #225 |
| 1920s | 6,034 | #238 (1921) | #271 |
| 1930s | 3,984 | #284 (1932) | #323 |
| 1940s | 2,074 | #393 (1940) | #542 |
| 1950s | 1,122 | #681 (1950) | #944 |
| 1960s | 462 | #1,181 (1960) | #1,788 |
| 1970s | 340 | #1,939 (1973) | #2,419 |
| 1980s | 271 | #2,391 (1980) | #3,324 |
| 1990s | 259 | #3,237 (1996) | #4,241 |
| 2000s | 259 | #3,703 (2001) | #5,112 |
| 2010s | 579 | #1,773 (2019) | #3,352 |
| 2020s | 696 | #1,457 (2024) | #1,792 |
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.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Nell ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: