Nella
Girl name · #2823 in 2025 · Uniqueness 75/100
In 2025, 60 baby girls were named Nella, placing it at #2823 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2890, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,000 girls born in 2025 was named Nella.
The 145-year story
Nella first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1927, when 81 girls were named Nella — good for #810 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.
Babies named Nella per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nella against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nella in class?
Nella scores 75 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Nella will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nella is most common
State-level data for Nella is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Nella
Statistically, parents drawn to Nella tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Novella, Adella, Zella, Vella, and Rosella.
NovellaAdellaZellaVellaRosellaLovellaLillaLouella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nella | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2822 |
| 2024 | 61 | #2775 |
| 2023 | 61 | #2789 |
| 2022 | 81 | #2295 |
| 2021 | 72 | #2460 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2580 |
| 2019 | 74 | #2400 |
| 2018 | 80 | #2275 |
| 2017 | 75 | #2401 |
| 2016 | 58 | #2902 |
| 2015 | 60 | #2890 |
| 2014 | 63 | #2739 |
| 2013 | 51 | #3166 |
| 2012 | 58 | #2935 |
| 2011 | 39 | #3843 |
| 2010 | 39 | #3889 |
| 2009 | 48 | #3409 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4647 |
| 2007 | 22 | #6093 |
| 2006 | 25 | #5383 |
| 2005 | 12 | #8883 |
| 2004 | 15 | #7391 |
| 2002 | 12 | #8280 |
| 2001 | 6 | #13521 |
| 1999 | 5 | #14411 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nella a popular girl name?
Nella ranked #2823 among girls in 2025 with 60 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2890.
When was the name Nella most popular?
Nella peaked in 1927, when 81 American girls received the name (ranked #810 that year). Since 1927 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nella?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,000 newborn American girls was named Nella. It scores 75/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.