Total births
3,841
Boys' name · since 1880
Nels
3,841 babies named Nels in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5243
- among boys today
- 3,841
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
3,841 babies have been named Nels since 1880, making it today's #5243 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nels has been recorded 3,841 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5243 nationally and more common than 63% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. 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.
- #5243 among boys today
- 3,841 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nels is currently the #5243 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 3,841 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5243
- among boys today
- 3,841
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Nels vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5243
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Nels was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
65 babies were named Nels in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Nels compares
3,841 Top 14% higher than 86% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Nels's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nels | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,841 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nels's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nels splits its recorded history at 1953: 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 1904 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 65 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nels at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#5,243
Active since
1880
Nels popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nels by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Nels's strongest decade.
454 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Nels births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
210 births
- 1890s
1890s
192 births
- 1900s 111
1900s
111 births
- 1910s
1910s
402 births
- 1920s
1920s
398 births
- 1930s
1930s
317 births
- 1940s
1940s
349 births
- 1950s
1950s
454 births
- 1960s
1960s
343 births
- 1970s
1970s
276 births
- 1980s
1980s
264 births
- 1990s 152
1990s
152 births
- 2000s 119
2000s
119 births
- 2010s 137
2010s
137 births
- 2020s 117
2020s
117 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 454 births (12% of all-time use).
How Nels compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nels's total volume
Nels vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nels by state
Where Nels concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 228 | 5.9% |
| #2 | California | | 145 | 3.8% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 84 | 2.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 77 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Washington | | 60 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 42 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 42 | 1.1% |
| #8 | North Dakota | | 34 | 0.9% |
Minnesota share of Nels's total US births 5.9%
Even split
228 of 3,841 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Nels appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nels? ▼
3,841 babies have been named Nels since 1880. It currently ranks #5243 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 65 births.
When was Nels most popular? ▼
Nels was most popular in the 1950s decade with 454 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Nels most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nels are Minnesota (228 births), California (145 births), Wisconsin (84 births).
How long has the name Nels been used? ▼
Nels has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nels? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nelson, Nello, Nellie, Nelvin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nels's data
- Nels's decade-level peak was the 1950s (454 total births); usage has since declined to 117 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Nelss (228 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota 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 Nels
Nearby Names Like Nels
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nels
Nelson Boy
#778 79,709 births
Nello Boy
#11000 937 births
Nellie Boy
593 births
Nelvin Boy
#10015 394 births
Neldon Boy
158 births
Compare Nels side by side: Nels vs Nelson Nels vs Nello Nels vs Nellie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nels
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. "Nels: #5243 Boys' Name - 3,841 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nels. 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 Nels 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.