Nelly is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nelly means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nelly across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nelly has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nelly is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “bright, shining light”. A pet form of Helen, Eleanor, or Cornelia.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 7,871 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,774 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 38 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 9 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 104 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 Nelly per year, United States (1882 to 2025). United States peaked in 2007 (213/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2019 (211/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2016 (8/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2021 (8/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2020 (3/yr).
Nelly is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2007, when it ranked #2,102 nationally (given to 265 babies that year).
Nellie · Neil · Nell · Noelle · Neal · Nelle · Newell · Nayely
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