Nelly
Every Nelly since 1882 — 7,871 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nelly
Nelly is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,294 in 2025 with 173 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1882, 7,871 American babies have been named Nelly. Its peak came in 2007, when 213 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nelly stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nelly year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 173 | #1,294 | 9 | #8,710 |
| 2024 | 168 | #1,362 | 6 | #11,926 |
| 2023 | 142 | #1,517 | 5 | #13,576 |
| 2022 | 158 | #1,428 | — | — |
| 2021 | 135 | #1,561 | 9 | #8,637 |
| 2020 | 92 | #2,029 | — | — |
| 2019 | 146 | #1,496 | 6 | #11,733 |
| 2018 | 99 | #1,995 | — | — |
| 2017 | 128 | #1,683 | — | — |
| 2016 | 104 | #1,938 | — | — |
| 2015 | 122 | #1,725 | 6 | #11,682 |
| 2014 | 139 | #1,567 | — | — |
| 2013 | 130 | #1,642 | — | — |
| 2012 | 159 | #1,442 | — | — |
| 2011 | 147 | #1,513 | — | — |
| 2010 | 161 | #1,426 | 7 | #10,427 |
| 2009 | 194 | #1,263 | — | — |
| 2008 | 195 | #1,278 | — | — |
| 2007 | 208 | #1,209 | 5 | #13,816 |
| 2006 | 158 | #1,433 | 7 | #10,336 |
| 2005 | 150 | #1,431 | 7 | #9,837 |
| 2004 | 156 | #1,356 | — | — |
| 2003 | 159 | #1,307 | 7 | #9,328 |
| 2002 | 144 | #1,349 | 5 | #11,923 |
| 2001 | 119 | #1,571 | — | — |
| 2000 | 113 | #1,575 | — | — |
| 1995 | 97 | #1,572 | — | — |
| 1990 | 103 | #1,508 | — | — |
| 1985 | 83 | #1,487 | — | — |
| 1980 | 70 | #1,654 | — | — |
| 1975 | 62 | #1,598 | — | — |
| 1970 | 48 | #1,852 | — | — |
| 1965 | 35 | #1,976 | — | — |
| 1960 | 62 | #1,399 | — | — |
| 1955 | 57 | #1,345 | — | — |
| 1950 | 21 | #2,167 | — | — |
| 1945 | 15 | #2,314 | — | — |
| 1940 | 22 | #1,731 | — | — |
| 1935 | 14 | #2,274 | — | — |
| 1930 | 26 | #1,560 | — | — |
| 1925 | 26 | #1,688 | — | — |
| 1920 | 21 | #1,934 | — | — |
| 1915 | 18 | #1,861 | — | — |
| 1910 | 7 | #2,079 | — | — |
| 1905 | 5 | #2,148 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | 6 | #1,543 | — | — |
| 1890 | 8 | #1,071 | — | — |
| 1885 | 9 | #784 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Nelly
- Nelly Sachs Writer · 1891–1970
- Nelly Furtado Singer · b. 1978
- Nelly Landry Tennis player · 1916–2010
- Nelly Singer · b. 1974
- Nelly Ciobanu Singer · b. 1974
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Nelly in 2025?
Nelly ranked #1,294 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 173 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nelly?
7,871 babies have been named Nelly in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nelly most popular?
Nelly peaked in 2007, when 213 newborns received the name.
Is Nelly a boy or girl name?
Nelly is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Nelly rising or falling?
Nelly is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Nelly?
Well-known people named Nelly include Nelly Sachs (writer), Nelly Furtado (singer), Nelly Landry (tennis player).