Nelly
Nelly is outside the top 1,000 in 2024, with 168 births. Its best rank was 625th, in 1882.
- Rank in 2024
- —outside the top 1,000
- Births in 2024
- 1680.01% of girls
- Peak year
- 2007208 births
- Best rank
- #625in 1882
- Since 1882
- 7,619people given the name
The story in the numbers
7,619 girls have been named Nelly in the United States since 1882, according to Social Security records. The busiest single year was 2007, with 208 births.
This is a comeback. After an early peak the name fell to a fraction of its former share, and it has been climbing again for the past decade.
Half of everyone given the name was born by 1997, and the 2000s alone account for 21%. It has spent 5 of 145 years in the top 1,000.
Rank among girls, year by year
By decade
| Decade | girls named Nelly | |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 50 | |
| 1890s | 30 | |
| 1900s | 62 | |
| 1910s | 130 | |
| 1920s | 210 | |
| 1930s | 162 | |
| 1940s | 160 | |
| 1950s | 384 | |
| 1960s | 428 | |
| 1970s | 634 | |
| 1980s | 770 | |
| 1990s | 973 | |
| 2000s | 1,596 | |
| 2010s | 1,335 | |
| 2020s | 695 |
In 2007, its biggest year
Nelly was outside the top 1,000 that year. The top five girls’ names of 2007 were Emily, Isabella, Emma, Ava and Madison. See all of 2007.
Names that rose and fell with Nelly
Same sex, most similar popularity curve over 145 years, in five-year steps — the shape of the line, not the size.
- Liliapeak 2007
- Leahpeak 2009
- Zaidapeak 2011
- Luisapeak 2022
- Elisepeak 2012
- Camillepeak 2012
- Patiencepeak 2006
- Carolinapeak 2004
Other spellings in the data
What this page does not tell you. The Social Security data records how many babies were given a name, not what the name means or where it comes from — so neither do we. Counts cover people with a Social Security number; names given to fewer than five babies in a year are withheld. More on the data.