Nelson
Last seen for girls in 2023 at #13,462 · #824 for boys in 2025, 300 births
Given to boys 99.5% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1882 · 104 births
- Debut · boys
- 99 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 79,709since 1880
Nelson over time
Rank among boys' names. Nelson 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 | — | #824 | 300 | |
| 2024 | — | #777 | 323 | |
| 2023 | #13,462 | 6 | #797 | 311 |
| 2022 | #15,306 | 5 | #797 | 315 |
| 2021 | — | #722 | 358 | |
| 2020 | #15,088 | 5 | #670 | 388 |
| 2019 | #15,539 | 5 | #654 | 407 |
| 2018 | — | #671 | 374 | |
| 2017 | — | #631 | 411 | |
| 2016 | — | #621 | 431 | |
| 2015 | — | #626 | 426 | |
| 2014 | — | #645 | 409 | |
| 2013 | — | #581 | 442 | |
| 2012 | — | #558 | 466 | |
| 2011 | — | #556 | 457 | |
| 2010 | — | #568 | 447 | |
| 2009 | — | #519 | 520 | |
| 2008 | — | #497 | 551 | |
| 2007 | — | #467 | 584 | |
| 2006 | — | #448 | 605 | |
| 2005 | — | #441 | 595 | |
| 2004 | #14,179 | 6 | #450 | 574 |
| 2003 | — | #420 | 612 | |
| 2002 | — | #408 | 619 | |
| 2001 | — | #407 | 615 | |
| 2000 | — | #414 | 602 | |
| 1999 | #14,411 | 5 | #402 | 605 |
| 1998 | — | #397 | 615 | |
| 1997 | — | #387 | 619 | |
| 1996 | — | #377 | 621 | |
| 1995 | #11,783 | 6 | #356 | 681 |
| 1994 | #9,586 | 8 | #342 | 720 |
| 1993 | #11,780 | 6 | #333 | 761 |
| 1992 | #9,491 | 8 | #319 | 801 |
| 1991 | — | #318 | 810 | |
| 1990 | #12,958 | 5 | #279 | 931 |
| 1989 | #8,761 | 8 | #287 | 856 |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 9 | #300 | 758 |
| 1987 | #11,325 | 5 | #302 | 712 |
| 1986 | #7,134 | 9 | #293 | 714 |
| 1985 | — | #290 | 706 | |
| 1984 | #6,810 | 9 | #303 | 651 |
| 1983 | — | #312 | 630 | |
| 1982 | #9,237 | 6 | #302 | 658 |
| 1981 | #9,110 | 6 | #302 | 640 |
| 1980 | #9,095 | 6 | #297 | 684 |
| 1979 | #9,010 | 6 | #297 | 670 |
| 1978 | #9,750 | 5 | #285 | 680 |
| 1977 | #5,532 | 11 | #292 | 670 |
| 1976 | #7,296 | 7 | #266 | 731 |
| 1975 | #9,067 | 5 | #277 | 690 |
| 1974 | #5,011 | 11 | #278 | 675 |
| 1973 | #6,666 | 7 | #303 | 580 |
| 1972 | #4,523 | 12 | #300 | 620 |
| 1971 | #6,006 | 8 | #273 | 775 |
| 1970 | #4,492 | 12 | #278 | 756 |
| 1969 | #7,471 | 5 | #270 | 764 |
| 1968 | #5,147 | 8 | #261 | 764 |
| 1967 | #5,457 | 7 | #255 | 789 |
| 1966 | #4,866 | 8 | #274 | 724 |
| 1965 | #6,539 | 5 | #259 | 815 |
| 1964 | — | #268 | 826 | |
| 1963 | — | #246 | 982 | |
| 1962 | #5,293 | 7 | #253 | 931 |
| 1961 | — | #253 | 951 | |
| 1960 | #6,390 | 5 | #250 | 1,016 |
| 1959 | — | #244 | 1,084 | |
| 1958 | #5,408 | 6 | #254 | 948 |
| 1957 | #4,918 | 7 | #250 | 942 |
| 1956 | #5,952 | 5 | #241 | 915 |
| 1955 | — | #235 | 914 | |
| 1954 | #5,753 | 5 | #228 | 947 |
| 1953 | — | #214 | 1,012 | |
| 1952 | — | #232 | 830 | |
| 1951 | — | #240 | 802 | |
| 1950 | — | #228 | 804 | |
| 1949 | #5,244 | 5 | #232 | 782 |
| 1948 | — | #227 | 814 | |
| 1947 | — | #224 | 814 | |
| 1946 | — | #222 | 740 | |
| 1945 | — | #206 | 696 | |
| 1944 | #3,687 | 7 | #207 | 715 |
| 1943 | #4,196 | 6 | #203 | 794 |
| 1942 | #3,444 | 8 | #181 | 870 |
| 1941 | #4,420 | 5 | #186 | 791 |
| 1940 | — | #182 | 807 | |
| 1939 | — | #178 | 801 | |
| 1938 | — | #182 | 795 | |
| 1937 | — | #194 | 661 | |
| 1936 | #2,263 | 13 | #195 | 631 |
| 1935 | #3,742 | 6 | #209 | 578 |
| 1934 | #3,449 | 7 | #214 | 569 |
| 1933 | #3,753 | 6 | #205 | 572 |
| 1932 | #3,901 | 6 | #204 | 629 |
| 1931 | #3,848 | 6 | #209 | 607 |
| 1930 | #3,658 | 7 | #209 | 630 |
| 1929 | #4,053 | 6 | #215 | 590 |
| 1928 | — | #201 | 681 | |
| 1927 | #2,552 | 13 | #206 | 673 |
| 1926 | #4,851 | 5 | #202 | 685 |
| 1925 | — | #186 | 738 | |
| 1924 | #3,393 | 9 | #188 | 753 |
| 1923 | — | #195 | 704 | |
| 1922 | #4,011 | 7 | #201 | 659 |
| 1921 | #3,666 | 8 | #194 | 704 |
| 1920 | #4,975 | 5 | #186 | 740 |
| 1919 | — | #187 | 682 | |
| 1918 | #4,291 | 6 | #190 | 664 |
| 1917 | #4,594 | 5 | #194 | 605 |
| 1916 | — | #188 | 619 | |
| 1915 | #4,274 | 5 | #184 | 606 |
| 1914 | — | #171 | 527 | |
| 1913 | #3,187 | 5 | #188 | 357 |
| 1912 | — | #166 | 349 | |
| 1911 | — | #175 | 180 | |
| 1910 | — | #189 | 142 | |
| 1909 | — | #193 | 113 | |
| 1908 | — | #189 | 112 | |
| 1907 | — | #167 | 129 | |
| 1906 | — | #180 | 100 | |
| 1905 | — | #160 | 126 | |
| 1904 | — | #202 | 81 | |
| 1903 | — | #175 | 93 | |
| 1902 | — | #201 | 78 | |
| 1901 | — | #159 | 97 | |
| 1900 | — | #154 | 135 | |
| 1899 | — | #145 | 107 | |
| 1898 | — | #151 | 112 | |
| 1897 | — | #149 | 104 | |
| 1896 | — | #190 | 86 | |
| 1895 | — | #142 | 108 | |
| 1894 | — | #194 | 76 | |
| 1893 | — | #199 | 72 | |
| 1892 | — | #161 | 98 | |
| 1891 | — | #152 | 86 | |
| 1890 | — | #190 | 71 | |
| 1889 | — | #168 | 80 | |
| 1888 | — | #175 | 85 | |
| 1887 | — | #195 | 62 | |
| 1886 | — | #176 | 78 | |
| 1885 | — | #160 | 83 | |
| 1884 | — | #154 | 89 | |
| 1883 | — | #160 | 79 | |
| 1882 | — | #134 | 104 | |
| 1881 | — | #137 | 90 | |
| 1880 | — | #137 | 99 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Nelson was already there! It came in at #137, and was given to 99 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1883–1891, when fewer than 90 boys a year got the name.
Where Nelson is popular in 1989
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- New York#119 · 1 in 784
- New Jersey#134 · 1 in 1,020
- Massachusetts#147 · 1 in 1,183
- Rhode Island#148 · 1 in 1,092
- Hawaii#182 · 1 in 863
Best ever in a state: #38 in Vermont, 1911.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | #119 | 172 | 1 in 784 |
| New Jersey | #134 | 54 | 1 in 1,020 |
| Massachusetts | #147 | 37 | 1 in 1,183 |
| Rhode Island | #148 | 6 | 1 in 1,092 |
| Hawaii | #182 | 8 | 1 in 863 |
| Connecticut | #193 | 14 | 1 in 1,582 |
| Florida | #236 | 59 | 1 in 1,514 |
| California | #242 | 163 | 1 in 1,648 |
| Pennsylvania | #273 | 31 | 1 in 2,626 |
| North Carolina | #311 | 18 | 1 in 2,569 |
| Mississippi | #315 | 8 | 1 in 2,146 |
| Maryland | #316 | 11 | 1 in 2,917 |
| Virginia | #316 | 15 | 1 in 2,791 |
| Oklahoma | #320 | 8 | 1 in 2,569 |
| Wisconsin | #332 | 9 | 1 in 3,677 |
| Illinois | #337 | 32 | 1 in 2,712 |
| Kentucky | #341 | 6 | 1 in 4,076 |
| Georgia | #344 | 17 | 1 in 2,909 |
| Texas | #351 | 56 | 1 in 2,645 |
| Kansas | #360 | 5 | 1 in 3,409 |
| Colorado | #364 | 7 | 1 in 3,455 |
| Ohio | #370 | 17 | 1 in 4,594 |
| Oregon | #388 | 5 | 1 in 3,890 |
| Alabama | #396 | 7 | 1 in 3,862 |
| District of Columbia | #407 | 7 | 1 in 1,877 |
| South Carolina | #419 | 6 | 1 in 3,930 |
| Arizona | #427 | 8 | 1 in 3,786 |
| Washington | #440 | 7 | 1 in 4,858 |
| Louisiana | #479 | 8 | 1 in 3,989 |
| Michigan | #502 | 11 | 1 in 6,312 |
| Missouri | #532 | 5 | 1 in 7,549 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys 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 Nelson
- 47 spots since 2024 (#777 → #824)
- 154 spots since 2020 (#670 → #824)
- 198 spots since 2015 (#626 → #824)
- Biggest jump: 52 spots in 1895 (#194 → #142)
- Biggest drop: 75 spots in 2022 (#722 → #797)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1882 at #134 (104 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 993 boys born in 1899 were named Nelson (0.10%)
- Latest: 1 in 5,694 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
- Its best rank, #134 in 1882, was only 1 in 1,093 (0.09%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 11.5% of all boys named Nelson (9,198) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 849 | #134 (1882) | #160 |
| 1890s | 920 | #142 (1895) | #167 |
| 1900s | 1,064 | #154 (1900) | #178 |
| 1910s | 4,731 | #166 (1912) | #183 |
| 1920s | 6,927 | #186 (1920) | #197 |
| 1930s | 6,473 | #178 (1939) | #200 |
| 1940s | 7,823 | #181 (1942) | #207 |
| 1950s | 9,198 | #214 (1953) | #237 |
| 1960s | 8,562 | #246 (1963) | #259 |
| 1970s | 6,847 | #266 (1976) | #285 |
| 1980s | 7,009 | #287 (1989) | #299 |
| 1990s | 7,164 | #279 (1990) | #351 |
| 2000s | 5,877 | #407 (2001) | #447 |
| 2010s | 4,270 | #556 (2011) | #611 |
| 2020s | 1,995 | #670 (2020) | #765 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Nelson in 1989
Top girls' names in 1989
Top boys' names in 1989
More about 1989
girls
1,843,552 girls got a published name in 1989; 1 in 230,444 of them was named Nelson, which outranked 39.8% of the 14,550 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #8,037Zenab9
- #8,037Zita9
- #8,037Zohra9
- #8,761Nelson8
- #8,761Aariel8
- #8,761Abeer8
- #8,761Abel8
- #9,681Aarica7
- #9,681Abbagail7
- #9,681Abbee7
Tied with 919 names at #8,761; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,000,928 boys got a published name in 1989; 1 in 2,338 of them was named Nelson, which outranked 96.9% of the 9,232 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 20.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.