Nell
Girl name · #1622 in 2025 · Rare
Nell is currently the #1622 girl name in the United States — 128 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2846, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,063 girls born in 2025 was named Nell.
Babies named Nell per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Nell first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 77 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1917, when 766 girls were named Nell — good for #220 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nell against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nell in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nell is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nell will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nell is most common
State-level data for Nell is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Nell
Nell belongs to the Eleanor family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Eleanor family went to about 19,784 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #1, versus #1622 for Nell alone.
Names like Nell
Statistically, parents drawn to Nell tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sybil, Fern, Agatha, Iva, and Leora.
SybilFernAgathaIvaLeoraErisIonaOllie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nell | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #1622 |
| 2024 | 150 | #1457 |
| 2023 | 124 | #1669 |
| 2022 | 119 | #1742 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2007 |
| 2020 | 79 | #2257 |
| 2019 | 115 | #1773 |
| 2018 | 72 | #2457 |
| 2017 | 87 | #2184 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2539 |
| 2015 | 61 | #2846 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3652 |
| 2013 | 44 | #3513 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4486 |
| 2011 | 32 | #4466 |
| 2010 | 24 | #5602 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4805 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5709 |
| 2006 | 30 | #4685 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4828 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6216 |
| 2003 | 23 | #5235 |
| 2002 | 23 | #5086 |
| 2001 | 35 | #3703 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nell a popular girl name?
Nell ranked #1622 among girls in 2025 with 128 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2846.
When was the name Nell most popular?
Nell peaked in 1917, when 766 American girls received the name (ranked #220 that year). Since 1917 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nell?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,063 newborn American girls was named Nell. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.