Total births
59
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.
- 59
- total births
- 1916–1940
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that 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.
- 59 total births
- 1916–1940 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 47% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
59 girls have been named Nellye since 1916, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1940.
- 59
- total births
- 1916–1940
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Nellye was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
10 babies were named Nellye in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1940Peak year
1921
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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? ▼
Nellye has been given to 59 babies in the U.S. since 1916, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1940. 10 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Nellye most popular? ▼
Nellye was most popular in the 1920s decade with 28 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
How long has the name Nellye been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nellye since 1916 -- 25 years through the most recent 1940 data.
What names are similar to Nellye? ▼
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 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.
- 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 Nellye
Nearby Names Like Nellye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nellye
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 Nellye side by side: Nellye vs Nellie Nellye vs Nell Nellye vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nellye: Baby Name Since 1916 - 59 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nellye. 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 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 July 2026.