Nellie
Girl name · #533 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Nellie? In official American birth records, Nellie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Nellie is currently the #533 girl name in the United States — 567 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1239, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,175 girls born in 2025 was named Nellie.
Babies named Nellie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Nellie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 995 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 4,048 girls were named Nellie — good for #65 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 Nellie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nellie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nellie is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Nellie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nellie is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Nellie is most common in IA (1.4 per 1,000), MN (1.2 per 1,000), KY (1 per 1,000), IN (0.9 per 1,000), UT (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Nellie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Nellie
Statistically, parents drawn to Nellie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tillie, Lottie, Goldie, Lillie, and Ruthie.
TillieLottieGoldieLillieRuthieHattieMaxineRosie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nellie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 567 | #533 |
| 2024 | 592 | #521 |
| 2023 | 486 | #615 |
| 2022 | 446 | #663 |
| 2021 | 384 | #743 |
| 2020 | 325 | #840 |
| 2019 | 311 | #861 |
| 2018 | 239 | #1065 |
| 2017 | 196 | #1224 |
| 2016 | 202 | #1217 |
| 2015 | 197 | #1239 |
| 2014 | 183 | #1301 |
| 2013 | 158 | #1432 |
| 2012 | 139 | #1566 |
| 2011 | 116 | #1758 |
| 2010 | 118 | #1751 |
| 2009 | 125 | #1742 |
| 2008 | 113 | #1880 |
| 2007 | 119 | #1792 |
| 2006 | 99 | #2003 |
| 2005 | 84 | #2180 |
| 2004 | 97 | #1925 |
| 2003 | 88 | #2033 |
| 2002 | 93 | #1897 |
| 2001 | 85 | #1995 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Nellie?
In official American birth records, the name Nellie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 995 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Nellie a popular girl name?
Nellie ranked #533 among girls in 2025 with 567 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1239.
When was the name Nellie most popular?
Nellie peaked in 1918, when 4,048 American girls received the name (ranked #65 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nellie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,175 newborn American girls was named Nellie. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.