Total births
4,374
Girls' name · since 1880
Nella
Nella has 4,374 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2779
- among girls today
- 4,374
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
4,374 babies have been named Nella since 1880, making it today's #2779 girls' name.
Nella has 4,374 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2779 as of the latest data, more common than 84% 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.
- #2779 among girls today
- 4,374 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nella is currently the #2779 girls' name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 4,374 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2779
- among girls today
- 4,374
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Nella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2779
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Nella was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
81 babies were named Nella in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
How Nella compares
4,374 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Nella's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,374 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 81 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nella splits its recorded history at 1945: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1972 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1927 peak of 81 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nella at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1927
Current rank
#2,779
Active since
1880
Nella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 81
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Nella's strongest decade.
656 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Nella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 125
1880s
125 births
- 1890s 147
1890s
147 births
- 1900s 176
1900s
176 births
- 1910s
1910s
463 births
- 1920s
1920s
656 births
- 1930s
1930s
619 births
- 1940s
1940s
412 births
- 1950s
1950s
285 births
- 1960s 183
1960s
183 births
- 1970s 89
1970s
89 births
- 1980s 31
1980s
31 births
- 1990s 18
1990s
18 births
- 2000s 172
2000s
172 births
- 2010s
2010s
597 births
- 2020s
2020s
401 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 656 births (15% of all-time use).
How Nella 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 Nella's total volume
Nella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nella by state
Where Nella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 247 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 159 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 135 | 3.1% |
| #4 | California | | 95 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 88 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 82 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 50 | 1.1% |
| #8 | New York | | 40 | 0.9% |
Kentucky share of Nella's total US births 5.6%
Even split
247 of 4,374 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Nella appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nella? ▼
Nella has been given to 4,374 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2779 as of the latest data. 81 babies were born in 1927, its single highest year.
When was Nella most popular? ▼
Nella was most popular in the 1920s decade with 656 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Nella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nella are Kentucky (247 births), Texas (159 births), Alabama (135 births).
How long has the name Nella been used? ▼
Records for Nella go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nella? ▼
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 Nella's data
- Nella's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (656 total births) through the 2020s (401) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Kentucky records the most Nellas (247 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Nella
Nearby Names Like Nella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nella
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 Nella side by side: Nella vs Nellie Nella vs Nell Nella vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nella
Iona #2778
12,251 births · Peak 1918
Clarice #2780
25,474 births · Peak 1921
Adella #2777
5,998 births · Peak 1920
Arlie #2781
2,585 births · Peak 1921
Selma #2776
26,881 births · Peak 1918
Cloe #2782
3,922 births · Peak 2008
Jeanette #2775
163,440 births · Peak 1939
Emmalee #2783
9,008 births · Peak 2005
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. "Nella: #2779 Girls' Name - 4,374 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nella. 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 Nella 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.