Total births
7,792
Girls' name · since 1882
Nelly
Nelly has 7,792 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2007 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1360
- among girls today
- 7,792
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
7,792 babies have been named Nelly since 1882, making it today's #1360 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Nelly recorded 7,792 times among girls since 1882, holding rank #1360 nationally today, ahead of 92% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1360 among girls today
- 7,792 born since 1882
- 2000s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nelly is currently the #1360 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 7,792 born since 1882, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1360
- among girls today
- 7,792
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Nelly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1360
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Nelly was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
208 babies were named Nelly in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Nelly compares
7,792 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Nelly's all-time total is 20x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nelly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,792 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 208 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nelly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nelly's SSA record in two at 1958 and the more recent half accounts for 86% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 14%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 208, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nelly at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2007
Current rank
#1,360
Active since
1882
Nelly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 208
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Nelly popularity over time - boys
79 total births recorded since 2002 (Nelly as boys' name)
Nelly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nelly's strongest decade.
1,596 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Nelly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 50
1880s
50 births
- 1890s 30
1890s
30 births
- 1900s 62
1900s
62 births
- 1910s 130
1910s
130 births
- 1920s 210
1920s
210 births
- 1930s 162
1930s
162 births
- 1940s 160
1940s
160 births
- 1950s 384
1950s
384 births
- 1960s 428
1960s
428 births
- 1970s 634
1970s
634 births
- 1980s
1980s
770 births
- 1990s
1990s
973 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,596 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,335 births
- 2020s
2020s
868 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,596 births (20% of all-time use).
How Nelly 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 Nelly's total volume
Nelly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nelly by state
Where Nelly concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,821 | 23.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,135 | 14.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 934 | 12.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 377 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 206 | 2.6% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 86 | 1.1% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 86 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Washington | | 77 | 1.0% |
California share of Nelly's total US births 23.4%
Even split
1,821 of 7,792 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Nelly appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelly? ▼
Nelly has been given to 7,792 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1360 as of the latest data. 208 babies were born in 2007, its single highest year.
When was Nelly most popular? ▼
Nelly was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,596 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Nelly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nelly are California (1,821 births), Texas (1,135 births), New York (934 births).
How long has the name Nelly been used? ▼
Records for Nelly go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nelly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nellie, Nell, Nelda, Nelle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nelly's data
- Nelly's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,596 total births) through the 2020s (868) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nellys (1,821 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 Nelly
Nearby Names Like Nelly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelly
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nell Girl
#1457 27,612 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelle Girl
#5022 5,794 births
Nella Girl
#2779 4,374 births
Compare Nelly side by side: Nelly vs Nellie Nelly vs Nell Nelly vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nelly
Evalyn #1359
9,567 births · Peak 2014
Ciara #1361
34,876 births · Peak 2005
May #1358
49,400 births · Peak 1919
Kelani #1362
1,708 births · Peak 2020
Delainey #1357
2,092 births · Peak 2024
Roslyn #1363
18,647 births · Peak 1956
Hollyn #1356
2,090 births · Peak 2025
Zoie #1364
11,182 births · Peak 2006
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nelly: #1360 Girls' Name - 7,792 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nelly. 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 Nelly 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.