Total births
1,580
Girls' name · since 1880
Nelia
Nelia has 1,580 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2015 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6170
- among girls today
- 1,580
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
1,580 babies have been named Nelia since 1880, making it today's #6170 girls' name.
Nelia has 1,580 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6170 as of the latest data, more common than 65% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #6170 among girls today
- 1,580 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 65% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nelia is currently the #6170 girls' name in America, more common than 65% of girls - 1,580 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #6170
- among girls today
- 1,580
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
Nelia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6170
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 65% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
10% of everyone ever named Nelia was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
24 babies were named Nelia in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Nelia compares
1,580 Top 25% higher than 75% of 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
Nelia's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nelia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,580 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nelia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nelia splits its recorded history at 1951: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 24 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nelia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#6,170
Active since
1880
Nelia popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nelia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nelia's strongest decade.
163 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 10% of all-time use.
Nelia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
82 births
- 1890s
1890s
80 births
- 1900s
1900s
93 births
- 1910s
1910s
119 births
- 1920s
1920s
133 births
- 1930s
1930s
122 births
- 1940s
1940s
112 births
- 1950s
1950s
113 births
- 1960s
1960s
87 births
- 1970s
1970s
138 births
- 1980s
1980s
72 births
- 1990s
1990s
67 births
- 2000s
2000s
108 births
- 2010s
2010s
163 births
- 2020s
2020s
91 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 163 births (10% of all-time use).
How Nelia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nelia's total volume
Nelia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nelia by state
Where Nelia concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 23 | 1.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 13 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 7 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Nelia's total US births 1.5%
Even split
23 of 1,580 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelia? ▼
Nelia has been given to 1,580 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #6170 as of the latest data. 24 babies were born in 2015, its single highest year.
When was Nelia most popular? ▼
Nelia was most popular in the 2010s decade with 163 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Nelia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nelia are California (23 births), Texas (13 births), Massachusetts (11 births).
How long has the name Nelia been used? ▼
Records for Nelia go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nelia? ▼
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 Nelia's data
- Nelia's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (163 total births) through the 2020s (91) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nelias (23 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Nelia
Nearby Names Like Nelia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelia
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 Nelia side by side: Nelia vs Nellie Nelia vs Nell Nelia vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nelia
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nelia: #6170 Girls' Name - 1,580 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nelia. 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 Nelia 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.