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
- 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
Rank among girls' names. Nell has never cracked the top 100 here.
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 | — | |
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 1928
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Georgia#139 · 1 in 593
- Alabama#139 · 1 in 611
- North Carolina#141 · 1 in 647
- Tennessee#148 · 1 in 624
- South Carolina#156 · 1 in 810
Best ever in a state: #63 in Tennessee, 1913.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | #139 | 51 | 1 in 611 |
| Georgia | #139 | 53 | 1 in 593 |
| North Carolina | #141 | 59 | 1 in 647 |
| Tennessee | #148 | 43 | 1 in 624 |
| South Carolina | #156 | 26 | 1 in 810 |
| Kentucky | #157 | 40 | 1 in 694 |
| Louisiana | #162 | 31 | 1 in 697 |
| Virginia | #162 | 29 | 1 in 862 |
| Florida | #170 | 18 | 1 in 760 |
| Mississippi | #171 | 30 | 1 in 747 |
| Arkansas | #250 | 14 | 1 in 1,323 |
| West Virginia | #275 | 10 | 1 in 1,952 |
| Texas | #315 | 37 | 1 in 1,628 |
| Missouri | #364 | 8 | 1 in 3,580 |
| Oklahoma | #371 | 8 | 1 in 2,950 |
| Ohio | #554 | 5 | 1 in 10,578 |
| Illinois | #634 | 5 | 1 in 11,460 |
| Pennsylvania | #640 | 5 | 1 in 17,509 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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
- 165 spots since 2024 (#1,457 → #1,622)
- 635 spots since 2020 (#2,257 → #1,622)
- 1,224 spots since 2015 (#2,846 → #1,622)
- Biggest jump: 64 spots in 1950 (#745 → #681)
- Biggest drop: 185 spots in 1957 (#988 → #1,173)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1886 at #144 (175 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 71 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 76 yrs · run 1880–1954
- Highest: 1 in 826 girls born in 1886 were named Nell (0.12%)
- Latest: 1 in 12,557 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
- 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.
Nell in 1928
Top girls' names in 1928
Top boys' names in 1928
More about 1928
girls
1,153,318 girls got a published name in 1928; 1 in 2,316 of them was named Nell, which outranked 94.5% of the 5,440 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,107,613 boys got a published name in 1928; 1 in 184,602 of them was named Nell, which outranked 21.7% of the 4,723 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).