Nell
Girl name · #1622 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Nell? In official American birth records, Nell has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Nell is currently the #1622 girl name in the United States — 128 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2846, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,063 girls born in 2025 was named Nell.
Babies named Nell per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Nell first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 77 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1917, when 766 girls were named Nell — good for #220 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nell against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nell in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nell is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nell will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nell is most common
State-level data for Nell is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Nell
Nell belongs to the Eleanor family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Eleanor family went to about 19,784 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #1, versus #1622 for Nell alone.
Names like Nell
Statistically, parents drawn to Nell tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sybil, Fern, Agatha, Iva, and Leora.
SybilFernAgathaIvaLeoraErisIonaOllie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nell | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #1622 |
| 2024 | 150 | #1457 |
| 2023 | 124 | #1669 |
| 2022 | 119 | #1742 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2007 |
| 2020 | 79 | #2257 |
| 2019 | 115 | #1773 |
| 2018 | 72 | #2457 |
| 2017 | 87 | #2184 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2539 |
| 2015 | 61 | #2846 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3652 |
| 2013 | 44 | #3513 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4486 |
| 2011 | 32 | #4466 |
| 2010 | 24 | #5602 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4805 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5709 |
| 2006 | 30 | #4685 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4828 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6216 |
| 2003 | 23 | #5235 |
| 2002 | 23 | #5086 |
| 2001 | 35 | #3703 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Nell?
In official American birth records, the name Nell first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 77 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Nell a popular girl name?
Nell ranked #1622 among girls in 2025 with 128 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2846.
When was the name Nell most popular?
Nell peaked in 1917, when 766 American girls received the name (ranked #220 that year). Since 1917 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nell?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,063 newborn American girls was named Nell. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.