Total births
27,612
Girls' name · since 1880
Nell
Nell has 27,612 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1917 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1457
- among girls today
- 27,612
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Nell currently ranks #1457 among girls' names in America, with 27,612 babies recorded since 1880.
Nell has 27,612 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1457 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- 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.
- #1457 among girls today
- 27,612 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nell is currently the #1457 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 27,612 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1457
- among girls today
- 27,612
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Nell vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1457
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Nell was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
766 babies were named Nell in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Nell compares
27,612 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Nell's all-time total is 72x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nell | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 27,612 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 766 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nell's full recorded timeline at 1953, 13% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 87% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1995, with just 18 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 766 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#1,457
Active since
1880
Nell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 766
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nell popularity over time - boys
98 total births recorded since 1900 (Nell as boys' name)
Nell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Nell's strongest decade.
6,034 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Nell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,345
1880s
1,345 births
- 1890s 2,138
1890s
2,138 births
- 1900s
1900s
2,436 births
- 1910s
1910s
5,613 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,034 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,984 births
- 1940s 2,074
1940s
2,074 births
- 1950s 1,122
1950s
1,122 births
- 1960s 462
1960s
462 births
- 1970s 340
1970s
340 births
- 1980s 271
1980s
271 births
- 1990s 259
1990s
259 births
- 2000s 259
2000s
259 births
- 2010s 579
2010s
579 births
- 2020s 696
2020s
696 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6,034 births (22% of all-time use).
How Nell 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 Nell's total volume
Nell vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nell by state
Where Nell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,164 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 1,945 | 7.0% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,812 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 1,686 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,682 | 6.1% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 1,136 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 1,061 | 3.8% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 957 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Nell's total US births 7.8%
Even split
2,164 of 27,612 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Nell appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nell? ▼
27,612 babies have been named Nell since 1880. It currently ranks #1457 among girls. The peak year was 1917 with 766 births.
When was Nell most popular? ▼
Nell was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6,034 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Nell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nell are Texas (2,164 births), Alabama (1,945 births), North Carolina (1,812 births).
How long has the name Nell been used? ▼
Nell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nellie, Nelda, Nelly, Nelle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nell's data
- Nell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (6,034 total births); usage has since declined to 696 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Nells (2,164 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Nell
Nearby Names Like Nell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nell
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelly Girl
#1360 7,792 births
Nelle Girl
#5022 5,794 births
Nella Girl
#2779 4,374 births
Compare Nell side by side: Nell vs Nellie Nell vs Nelda Nell vs Nelly
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nell
Nashly #1456
862 births · Peak 2024
Adrienne #1458
68,356 births · Peak 1983
Anyla #1455
2,795 births · Peak 2019
Violetta #1459
3,308 births · Peak 2025
Sofie #1454
5,003 births · Peak 2012
Noel #1460
15,284 births · Peak 1987
Calista #1453
7,504 births · Peak 1999
Karma #1461
7,593 births · Peak 2009
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. "Nell: #1457 Girls' Name - 27,612 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nell. 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 Nell 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.