Girls' name · since 1916
Nellye
Nellye has 59 recorded births since 1916 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #33,103 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 59
- born since 1916
- 1920s
- peak decade
59 girls have been named Nellye since 1916, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Nellye recorded 59 times among girls since 1916, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1940.
- #33,103 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 59 born since 1916
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nellye ranks #33,103 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 59 born since 1916, peaking in the 1920s.
- #33,103 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 59
- born since 1916
- 1920s
- peak decade
Nellye's 59 recorded births place it above 54.13% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Nellye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nellye's full recorded timeline at 1925, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nellye popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1940
- Peak year (1921)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 25 years of records
Nellye by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (28 births, 47% of the file).
1920s was Nellye's strongest decade.
28 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Nellye births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 10
1910s
10 births
- 1920s
1920s
28 births
- 1930s
1930s
16 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 28 births (47% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nellye? ▼
Where does Nellye sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nellye most popular? ▼
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What to do with Nellye's data
- Nellye's decade-level peak was the 1920s (28 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nellye
Nearby Names Like Nellye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nellye
Compare Nellye side by side: Nellye vs Nellie Nellye vs Nell Nellye vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nellye: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~24 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1916–1940 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Nellye 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 August 2026.