Total births
5,794
Girls' name · since 1880
Nelle
5,794 babies named Nelle in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5022
- among girls today
- 5,794
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Nelle is the #5022 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 5,794 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nelle has been recorded 5,794 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #5022 nationally and more common than 72% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5022 among girls today
- 5,794 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 72% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nelle is currently the #5022 girls' name in America, more common than 72% of girls - 5,794 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #5022
- among girls today
- 5,794
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Nelle vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5022
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 72% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Nelle was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
169 babies were named Nelle in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Nelle compares
5,794 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Nelle's all-time total is 15x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nelle | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,794 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 169 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nelle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nelle splits its recorded history at 1937: 13% of all births land in the more recent half, 87% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1956 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1917 peak of 169 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nelle at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#5,022
Active since
1880
Nelle popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 169
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nelle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Nelle's strongest decade.
1,201 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Nelle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
895 births
- 1890s
1890s
1,125 births
- 1900s
1900s
735 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,201 births
- 1920s
1920s
868 births
- 1930s 282
1930s
282 births
- 1940s 140
1940s
140 births
- 1950s 91
1950s
91 births
- 1960s 47
1960s
47 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 22
1980s
22 births
- 2000s 35
2000s
35 births
- 2010s 151
2010s
151 births
- 2020s 185
2020s
185 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 1,201 births (21% of all-time use).
How Nelle 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 Nelle's total volume
Nelle vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nelle by state
Where Nelle concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 356 | 6.1% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 260 | 4.5% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 120 | 2.1% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 117 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 88 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 79 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Texas | | 74 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 67 | 1.2% |
Tennessee share of Nelle's total US births 6.1%
Even split
356 of 5,794 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Nelle appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelle? ▼
Nelle has been given to 5,794 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5022 as of the latest data. 169 babies were born in 1917, its single highest year.
When was Nelle most popular? ▼
Nelle was most popular in the 1910s decade with 1,201 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Nelle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nelle are Tennessee (356 births), Georgia (260 births), North Carolina (120 births).
How long has the name Nelle been used? ▼
Records for Nelle go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nelle? ▼
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 Nelle's data
- Nelle's decade-level peak was the 1910s (1,201 total births); usage has since declined to 185 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Tennessee records the most Nelles (356 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee 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 Nelle
Nearby Names Like Nelle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelle
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nell Girl
#1457 27,612 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelly Girl
#1360 7,792 births
Nella Girl
#2779 4,374 births
Compare Nelle side by side: Nelle vs Nellie Nelle vs Nell Nelle vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nelle
Beulah #5021
73,252 births · Peak 1916
Wanda #5023
281,214 births · Peak 1957
Nabi #5020
79 births · Peak 2024
Angelita #5024
11,702 births · Peak 1975
Kouvr #5019
127 births · Peak 2025
Elida #5025
7,776 births · Peak 1946
Halstyn #5018
156 births · Peak 2021
Celestina #5026
2,566 births · Peak 1998
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. "Nelle: #5022 Girls' Name - 5,794 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nelle. 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 Nelle 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.