Nelle

Girl name

Nelle has been given to 5,794 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1917.

Meaning & origin

From Ellen spelled backwards. Popularized by author Harper Lee, whose first name Nelle was so derived from her grandmother’s.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

5,794

Peak year

1917 (169 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +83%

Gender split

All girls

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Nelle.

5,921 babies since 1880

5,921 babies since 1894

5,660 babies since 1880

5,974 babies since 1880

5,998 babies since 1880

6,009 babies since 1880

6,023 babies since 1880

5,550 babies since 1885

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