Nellie is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nellie means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nellie across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nellie has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nellie is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, linked to light”. a pet form of Helen or Eleanor.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 153,284 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,042 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 89 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 35 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 100 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Nellie per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (4,057/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2023 (509/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (18/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2024 (16/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2022 (7/yr).
Nellie has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #115 nationally (given to 4,057 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Neil · Nell · Noelle · Neal · Nelle · Noelia · Nella · Nello
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