Nelly: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,294

among girls · ↑68 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

182

named Nelly · +5% vs 2024

How common

1 in 9,291

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2007

213 babies

All-time total

7,871

#1,937 all-time among girls

First recorded

1882

in Social Security records

Nelly popularity over time

7,871 babies have been named Nelly since 1882, 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

GirlsBoys

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	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	50	–	50	5	–	#625
1890s	30	–	30	3	-40%	#1,071
1900s	62	–	62	6	+107%	#1,203
1910s	130	–	130	13	+110%	#1,587
1920s	210	–	210	21	+62%	#1,579
1930s	162	–	162	16	-23%	#1,560
1940s	160	–	160	16	-1%	#1,731
1950s	384	–	384	38	+140%	#1,345
1960s	428	–	428	43	+11%	#1,399
1970s	634	–	634	63	+48%	#1,361
1980s	770	–	770	77	+21%	#1,433
1990s	973	–	973	97	+26%	#1,335
2000s	1,596	31	1,627	163	+67%	#1,209
2010s	1,335	19	1,354	135	-17%	#1,426
2020s (to 2025)	868	29	897	150	+10%	#1,294

Where Nelly 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	185	0.12	outside top 500
2027	196	0.12	outside top 500
2028	206	0.13	outside top 500
2029	214	0.13	outside top 500
2030	222	0.14	outside top 500

Where Nelly is most popular

Girls named Nelly per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.096 per 1,000. Strongest in Illinois, Minnesota, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Nelly born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Illinois	32	0.140	+46%
Minnesota	15	0.139	+45%
California	116	0.138	+44%
New Jersey	23	0.127	+33%
Texas	95	0.118	+23%
Wisconsin	12	0.117	+22%
New York	44	0.111	+16%
Florida	43	0.100	+5%
Maryland	10	0.094	≈ national
Washington	13	0.090	-6%
Arizona	11	0.078	-18%
North Carolina	16	0.070	-27%
Ohio	15	0.063	-34%
Virginia	10	0.059	-39%
Kentucky	5	0.058	-39%
Colorado	6	0.054	-44%
Massachusetts	6	0.050	-48%
Pennsylvania	11	0.047	-51%
Indiana	5	0.036	-63%
Michigan	6	0.033	-66%
Georgia	5	0.022	-77%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Nelly

Nelly is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,294 in 2025 with 173 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 7,871 American babies have been named Nelly. Its peak came in 2007, when 213 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Nelly stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nelly?

The median living Nelly is about 23 years old; half are between 12 and 42. An estimated 7,000 people named Nelly are alive in the United States today.

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

Nelly year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	173	#1,294	9	#8,710
2024	168	#1,362	6	#11,926
2023	142	#1,517	5	#13,576
2022	158	#1,428	–	–
2021	135	#1,561	9	#8,637
2020	92	#2,029	–	–
2019	146	#1,496	6	#11,733
2018	99	#1,995	–	–
2017	128	#1,683	–	–
2016	104	#1,938	–	–
2015	122	#1,725	6	#11,682
2014	139	#1,567	–	–
2013	130	#1,642	–	–
2012	159	#1,442	–	–
2011	147	#1,513	–	–
2010	161	#1,426	7	#10,427
2009	194	#1,263	–	–
2008	195	#1,278	–	–
2007	208	#1,209	5	#13,816
2006	158	#1,433	7	#10,336
2005	150	#1,431	7	#9,837
2004	156	#1,356	–	–
2003	159	#1,307	7	#9,328
2002	144	#1,349	5	#11,923
2001	119	#1,571	–	–
2000	113	#1,575	–	–
1995	97	#1,572	–	–
1990	103	#1,508	–	–
1985	83	#1,487	–	–
1980	70	#1,654	–	–
1975	62	#1,598	–	–
1970	48	#1,852	–	–
1965	35	#1,976	–	–
1960	62	#1,399	–	–
1955	57	#1,345	–	–
1950	21	#2,167	–	–
1945	15	#2,314	–	–
1940	22	#1,731	–	–
1935	14	#2,274	–	–
1930	26	#1,560	–	–
1925	26	#1,688	–	–
1920	21	#1,934	–	–
1915	18	#1,861	–	–
1910	7	#2,079	–	–
1905	5	#2,148	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	6	#1,543	–	–
1890	8	#1,071	–	–
1885	9	#784	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Nelly

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

1 Nelly Furtado Canadian singer (born 1978) Contemporary
2 Nelly American rapper (born 1974) Contemporary
3 Nelly Sachs Jewish German-Swedish writer, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate (1891–1970) 19th century
4 Nelly Ciobanu Musical artist b. 1974 · Contemporary
5 Nelly Landry Belgian-French tennis player 1916–2010 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nelly?

The median living Nelly is about 23 years old. Half of all living Nellys are between 12 and 42 years old.

How many people named Nelly are alive today?

An estimated 7,000 people named Nelly are alive in the United States, based on 7,871 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nelly mean?

Nelly and Nellie are female given names, also used as nicknames, which are derived from the names Helen, Ellen, Petronella, Danielle, Cornelia, Eleanor, Janelle, Chanelle, Penelope, Elizabeth, Rachel, Natalie or Noelia.

How popular is the name Nelly in 2025?

Nelly ranked #1,294 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 173 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nelly?

7,871 babies have been named Nelly in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nelly most popular?

Nelly peaked in 2007, when 213 newborns received the name.

Is Nelly a boy or girl name?

Nelly is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nelly rising or falling?

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

Will Nelly become more popular?

Nelly is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 222 girls named Nelly 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 Nelly?

Well-known people named Nelly include Nelly Furtado (singer), Nelly (singer), Nelly Sachs (writer).

Names like Nelly

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

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