Total births
79,709
Boys' name · since 1880
Nelson
Nelson has 79,709 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #778
- among boys today
- 79,709
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Nelson currently ranks #778 among boys' names in America, with 79,709 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Nelson recorded 79,709 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #778 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #778 among boys today
- 79,709 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nelson is currently the #778 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 79,709 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #778
- among boys today
- 79,709
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Nelson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#778
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Nelson was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
1,084 babies were named Nelson in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Nelson compares
79,709 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Nelson's all-time total is 217x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nelson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 79,709 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,084 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nelson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nelson's full recorded timeline at 1953, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 62 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 1,084 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nelson at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1959
Current rank
#778
Active since
1880
Nelson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 1,084
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nelson popularity over time - girls
431 total births recorded since 1913 (Nelson as girls' name)
Nelson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Nelson's strongest decade.
9,198 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Nelson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 849
1880s
849 births
- 1890s 920
1890s
920 births
- 1900s 1,064
1900s
1,064 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,731 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,927 births
- 1930s
1930s
6,473 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,823 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,198 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,562 births
- 1970s
1970s
6,847 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,009 births
- 1990s
1990s
7,164 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,877 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,270 births
- 2020s 1,995
2020s
1,995 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 9,198 births (12% of all-time use).
How Nelson 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 Nelson's total volume
Nelson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nelson by state
Where Nelson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,427 | 15.6% |
| #2 | California | | 6,035 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 4,539 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Texas | | 4,247 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 3,346 | 4.2% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 3,325 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Florida | | 3,238 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 3,056 | 3.8% |
New York share of Nelson's total US births 15.6%
Even split
12,427 of 79,709 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Nelson appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelson? ▼
Nelson has been given to 79,709 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #778 as of the latest data. 1,084 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Nelson most popular? ▼
Nelson was most popular in the 1950s decade with 9,198 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Nelson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nelson are New York (12,427 births), California (6,035 births), Pennsylvania (4,539 births).
How long has the name Nelson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nelson since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nelson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nels, Nello, Nellie, Nelvin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nelson's data
- Nelson's decade-level peak was the 1950s (9,198 total births); usage has since declined to 1,995 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Nelsons (12,427 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Nelson
Nearby Names Like Nelson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelson
Nels Boy
#5243 3,841 births
Nello Boy
#11000 937 births
Nellie Boy
593 births
Nelvin Boy
#10015 394 births
Neldon Boy
158 births
Compare Nelson side by side: Nelson vs Nels Nelson vs Nello Nelson vs Nellie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nelson
Ray #777
204,701 births · Peak 1957
Lochlan #779
4,846 births · Peak 2025
Aurelio #776
8,634 births · Peak 2025
Alfredo #780
57,075 births · Peak 1993
Harry #775
423,866 births · Peak 1918
Conner #781
56,395 births · Peak 2005
Jahmir #774
3,715 births · Peak 2025
Jasiel #782
2,793 births · Peak 2025
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. "Nelson: #778 Boys' Name - 79,709 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nelson. 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 Nelson 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.