Total births
133
Girls' name · since 1908
Nel
133 babies named Nel in U.S. Social Security records since 1908, with the highest year being 2013. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11171
- among girls today
- 133
- born since 1908
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Nel currently ranks #11171 among girls' names in America, with 133 babies recorded since 1908.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nel has been recorded 133 times among girls since 1908, currently ranked #11171 nationally and more common than 37% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #11171 among girls today
- 133 born since 1908
- 2010s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nel is currently the #11171 girls' name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 133 born since 1908, peaking in the 2010s.
- #11171
- among girls today
- 133
- born since 1908
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Nel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11171
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Nel was born in this single decade.
2013
Single peak year
11 babies were named Nel in 2013 - its busiest year on record.
How Nel compares
133 29th percentile among 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nel's all-time total is 65% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 133 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nel's full recorded timeline at 2015, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1908, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2013 peak of 11 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2013
Current rank
#11,171
Active since
1908
Nel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (2013)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Nel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nel's strongest decade.
50 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Nel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
20 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 2000s 12
2000s
12 births
- 2010s
2010s
50 births
- 2020s
2020s
41 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 50 births (38% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nel? ▼
Nel has been given to 133 babies in the U.S. since 1908, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #11171 as of the latest data. 11 babies were born in 2013, its single highest year.
When was Nel most popular? ▼
Nel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 50 total births. The single peak year was 2013.
How long has the name Nel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nel since 1908 -- 118 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nellie, Nell, Nelda, Nelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nel's data
- Nel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (50 total births) through the 2020s (41) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nel
Nearby Names Like Nel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nel
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nell Girl
#1457 27,612 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelly Girl
#1360 7,792 births
Nelle Girl
#5022 5,794 births
Compare Nel side by side: Nel vs Nellie Nel vs Nell Nel vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nel
Lorie #11170
21,964 births · Peak 1963
Bridie #11172
374 births · Peak 1918
Arcelia #11169
1,836 births · Peak 1975
Carlena #11173
1,426 births · Peak 1975
Allee #11168
1,192 births · Peak 2006
Rhonda #11174
208,069 births · Peak 1965
Alie #11167
528 births · Peak 2007
Matthew #11175
5,580 births · Peak 1983
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nel: #11171 Girls' Name - 133 Births, Peak 2013." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Nel 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 June 2026.