Boys' name · since 1927

Neilson

Since 1927, U.S. Social Security records show 218 babies named Neilson, peaking in 1975. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#12,435 of 45,481
all-time among boys
218
born since 1927
1970s
peak decade

218 boys have been named Neilson since 1927, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neilson has been recorded 218 times among boys since 1927, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1927 to 2022.

  • #12,435 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 218 born since 1927
  • 1970s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neilson ranks #12,435 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 218 born since 1927, peaking in the 1970s.

#12,435 of 45,481
all-time among boys
218
born since 1927
1970s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Neilson's 218 recorded births place it above 72.64% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Neilson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Neilson's full recorded timeline at 1987, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1954, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1975 peak of 15 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Neilson popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1975)
15
Annual births at peak, across 96 years of records
05101520 192719721976198119871996200120102022 6

Neilson by decade

1970s is the heaviest window (76 births, 35% of the file).

1970s was Neilson's strongest decade.

76 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.

Neilson births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1970s at 76 births (35% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Neilson? ▼
218 babies have been named Neilson since 1927. All-time, it sits at #12,435 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2022. The peak year was 1975 with 15 births.
Where does Neilson sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neilson ranks #12,435 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Neilson most popular? ▼
Neilson was most popular in the 1970s decade with 76 total births. The single peak year was 1975.
How long has the name Neilson been used? ▼
Neilson has been recorded in Social Security data since 1927, spanning 96 years of data through 2022.
What names are similar to Neilson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Neil, Neill, Neithan, Neiko, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Neilson's data

  • Neilson's decade-level peak was the 1970s (76 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Neilson

Nearby Names Like Neilson

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Neilson

Neil Boy
#850 104,869 births
Neill Boy
1,834 births
Neithan Boy
#724 906 births
Neiko Boy
#4090 797 births
Neizan Boy
#3372 486 births

Compare Neilson side by side: Neilson vs Neil Neilson vs Neill Neilson vs Neithan

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Deroy
218 births · Peak 1935
Panfilo
218 births · Peak 1929
Bard
218 births · Peak 1970
Denney
218 births · Peak 1948
Matilde
218 births · Peak 1936
Phillippe
218 births · Peak 1989
Tracie
218 births · Peak 1970
Jamee
218 births · Peak 1973

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Neilson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1927–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Neilson draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.