Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1927

Nella

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #2,852 Trend ↓ Falling 14%
Rank 2025
#2,852
among girls · ↓61 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
60
named Nella · -2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 26,788
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1927
81 babies
All-time total
4,374
#2,810 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Nella popularity over time

4,374 babies have been named Nella since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1881Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 125 13 – #387
1890s 147 15 +18% #695
1900s 176 18 +20% #764
1910s 463 46 +163% #734
1920s 656 66 +42% #813
1930s 619 62 -6% #744
1940s 412 41 -33% #922
1950s 285 29 -31% #1,515
1960s 183 18 -36% #2,414
1970s 89 9 -51% #4,280
1980s 31 3 -65% #7,190
1990s 18 2 -42% #11,721
2000s 172 17 +856% #3,446
2010s 597 60 +247% #2,291
2020s (to 2025) 401 67 +12% #2,311

Where Nella is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 58 0.04 outside top 500
2027 57 0.04 outside top 500
2028 56 0.03 outside top 500
2029 55 0.03 outside top 500
2030 55 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Nella

Nella is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,852 in 2025 with 60 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,374 American babies have been named Nella. Its peak came in 1927, when 81 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nella stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nella?

The median living Nella is about 18 years old; half are between 7 and 72. An estimated 2,100 people named Nella are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nella year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 60 #2,852
2024 61 #2,791
2023 61 #2,813
2022 81 #2,311
2021 72 #2,477
2020 66 #2,590
2019 74 #2,419
2018 80 #2,291
2017 75 #2,419
2016 58 #2,928
2015 60 #2,920
2014 63 #2,771
2013 51 #3,210
2012 58 #2,968
2011 39 #3,894
2010 39 #3,937
2009 48 #3,446
2008 32 #4,733
2007 22 #6,263
2006 25 #5,505
2005 12 #9,289
2004 15 #7,722
2003 – –
2002 12 #8,675
2001 6 #14,815
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 10 #5,836
1970 11 #4,974
1965 18 #3,017
1960 25 #2,414
1955 23 #2,322
1950 31 #1,706
1945 33 #1,412
1940 61 #922
1935 59 #900
1930 68 #877
1925 74 #868
1920 57 #976
1915 48 #963
1910 34 #734
1905 22 #795
1900 14 #1,046
1895 18 #760
1890 9 #987
1885 10 #729
1880 10 #570

Famous people named Nella

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Nella Larsen Nella Larsen American novelist (1891–1964) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nella, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nella?

The median living Nella is about 18 years old. Half of all living Nellas are between 7 and 72 years old.

How many people named Nella are alive today?

An estimated 2,100 people named Nella are alive in the United States, based on 4,374 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nella in 2025?

Nella ranked #2,852 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 60 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nella?

4,374 babies have been named Nella in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nella most popular?

Nella peaked in 1927, when 81 newborns received the name.

Is Nella a boy or girl name?

Nella is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nella rising or falling?

Nella is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nella become more popular?

Nella is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 55 girls named Nella in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Nella?

Well-known people named Nella include Nella Larsen (writer).

Names like Nella

Names that sound and feel close to Nella: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nella with similar names → More names starting with N →