Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1918

Nels

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,656 Trend ↑ Rising 55%
Rank 2025
#4,656
among boys · ↑724 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
22
named Nels
How common
1 in 77,640
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1918
65 babies
All-time total
3,841
#2,160 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Nels popularity over time

3,841 babies have been named Nels 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1893Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 210 21 – #309
1890s 192 19 -9% #310
1900s 111 11 -42% #607
1910s 402 40 +262% #753
1920s 398 40 -1% #973
1930s 317 32 -20% #1,026
1940s 349 35 +10% #1,010
1950s 454 45 +30% #1,021
1960s 343 34 -24% #1,167
1970s 276 28 -20% #1,489
1980s 264 26 -4% #1,464
1990s 152 15 -42% #2,841
2000s 119 12 -22% #5,242
2010s 137 14 +15% #4,653
2020s (to 2025) 117 20 +42% #4,454

Where Nels is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Nels

Nels is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,656 in 2025 with 22 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 3,841 American babies have been named Nels. Its peak came in 1918, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

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

How old are people named Nels?

The median living Nels is about 52 years old; half are between 33 and 68. An estimated 1,900 people named Nels are alive in the United States today.

median 52 020406080100

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

Nels year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 22 #4,656
2024 18 #5,380
2023 19 #5,193
2022 19 #5,163
2021 23 #4,454
2020 16 #5,625
2019 13 #6,674
2018 11 #7,470
2017 16 #5,709
2016 15 #5,974
2015 14 #6,212
2014 21 #4,653
2013 7 #10,407
2012 11 #7,394
2011 12 #6,878
2010 17 #5,407
2009 16 #5,735
2008 10 #8,111
2007 12 #6,958
2006 7 #10,337
2005 15 #5,494
2004 12 #6,403
2003 9 #7,659
2002 10 #6,903
2001 14 #5,319
2000 14 #5,242
1995 11 #5,405
1990 23 #2,841
1985 18 #2,793
1980 43 #1,464
1975 21 #2,182
1970 29 #1,601
1965 32 #1,373
1960 38 #1,288
1955 55 #1,021
1950 45 #1,058
1945 26 #1,320
1940 35 #1,123
1935 26 #1,345
1930 26 #1,451
1925 47 #1,006
1920 44 #1,061
1915 56 #821
1910 11 #1,024
1905 14 #657
1900 8 #1,021
1895 20 #449
1890 15 #503
1885 20 #407
1880 12 #553

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nels?

The median living Nels is about 52 years old. Half of all living Nelss are between 33 and 68 years old.

How many people named Nels are alive today?

An estimated 1,900 people named Nels are alive in the United States, based on 3,841 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nels in 2025?

Nels ranked #4,656 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nels?

3,841 babies have been named Nels in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nels most popular?

Nels peaked in 1918, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Nels a boy or girl name?

Nels is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nels rising or falling?

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

Will Nels become more popular?

Nels is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Nels in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nels

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

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