Nell
Girl nameNell has been given to 27,710 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1917.
Meaning & origin /nɛl/
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
27,710
Peak year
1917 (766 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +110%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Rank through the decades
Nell's rank among U.S. girl names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Girls rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #198 |
| 1925 | #266 |
| 1950 | #684 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Nell — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Nell
Nell Gwyn
Royal mistress (1650-1687)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Nell.
FAQ
How popular is the name Nell?
Nell has been given to 27,710 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Nell peak?
Nell peaked in 1917, when 766 babies were given the name.
Is Nell a girl or boy name?
Nell is primarily a girl name (100% of babies named Nell are girls).
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