Nell
Girl · NEL · English
Nell is a girls' name of English origin. In 2025 it ranked 412th for girls in the UK (114 babies) and 1,622nd for girls in the US (128 babies).
What does Nell mean?
English: English pet form of Eleanor, Ellen and Helen
Nell Gwyn was the Restoration actress who became the mistress of King Charles II.
- Say it
- NEL
Is Nell a girl's or a boy's name?
Nell is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 114 girls in the UK and 128 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nell in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #412among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 114about 1 in 2,400 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 9% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 114 girls in the UK were named Nell, making it the 412th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 351st. Its busiest year was 2022, with 185 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Nell than any year since 2009.
Half of all the girls named Nell in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 176 girls in the UK were given Nell or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #287, up from #412 for this spelling alone.
Among girls in 2025, it was 408th in England and Wales, 359th in Scotland and 290th in Northern Ireland.
Nell in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 114 | #412 |
| 2024 | 130 | #376 |
| 2023 | 168 | #297 |
| 2022 | 185 | #273 |
| 2021 | 176 | #300 |
| 2020 | 138 | #351 |
| 2019 | 166 | #314 |
| 2018 | 151 | #341 |
| 2017 | 166 | #325 |
| 2016 | 142 | #366 |
| 2015 | 144 | #355 |
| 2014 | 141 | #357 |
| 2013 | 140 | #364 |
| 2012 | 117 | #434 |
| 2011 | 122 | #415 |
| 2010 | 122 | #403 |
| 2009 | 107 | #443 |
| 2008 | 130 | #380 |
| 2007 | 124 | #376 |
| 2006 | 116 | #393 |
| 2005 | 95 | #435 |
| 2004 | 115 | #366 |
| 2003 | 115 | #355 |
| 2002 | 106 | #362 |
| 2001 | 59 | #545 |
| 2000 | 32 | #792 |
| 1999 | 19 | #1,149 |
| 1998 | 16 | #1,289 |
| 1997 | 17 | #1,227 |
| 1996 | 4 | #3,289 |
How popular is Nell in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,622among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 128about 1 in 13,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 51% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 128 girls in the US were named Nell, making it the 1,622nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,257th. Its busiest year was 1917, with 766 girls.
Half of all the girls named Nell in the US since 1880 were born between 1912 and 1937, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 167 girls in the US were given Nell or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,197, up from #1,622 for this spelling alone.
Nell in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #1,622 |
| 2024 | 150 | #1,457 |
| 2023 | 124 | #1,669 |
| 2022 | 119 | #1,742 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2,007 |
| 2020 | 79 | #2,257 |
| 2019 | 115 | #1,773 |
| 2018 | 72 | #2,457 |
| 2017 | 87 | #2,184 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2,539 |
| 2015 | 61 | #2,846 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3,650 |
| 2013 | 44 | #3,511 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4,484 |
| 2011 | 32 | #4,465 |
| 2010 | 24 | #5,600 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4,804 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6,556 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5,706 |
| 2006 | 30 | #4,684 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4,824 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6,211 |
| 2003 | 23 | #5,230 |
| 2002 | 23 | #5,082 |
| 2001 | 35 | #3,699 |
| 2000 | 28 | #4,286 |
| 1999 | 31 | #3,800 |
| 1998 | 32 | #3,645 |
| 1997 | 32 | #3,544 |
| 1996 | 36 | #3,232 |
| 1995 | 18 | #5,216 |
| 1994 | 19 | #5,011 |
| 1993 | 19 | #4,992 |
| 1992 | 20 | #4,842 |
| 1991 | 21 | #4,644 |
| 1990 | 31 | #3,431 |
| 1989 | 24 | #4,014 |
| 1988 | 25 | #3,685 |
| 1987 | 29 | #3,166 |
| 1986 | 22 | #3,755 |
| 1985 | 24 | #3,516 |
| 1984 | 28 | #3,068 |
| 1983 | 29 | #2,909 |
| 1982 | 28 | #3,092 |
| 1981 | 22 | #3,624 |
| 1980 | 40 | #2,391 |
| 1979 | 36 | #2,525 |
| 1978 | 26 | #3,009 |
| 1977 | 26 | #3,001 |
| 1976 | 28 | #2,727 |
| 1975 | 34 | #2,357 |
| 1974 | 43 | #1,961 |
| 1973 | 42 | #1,939 |
| 1972 | 34 | #2,222 |
| 1971 | 35 | #2,247 |
| 1970 | 36 | #2,203 |
| 1969 | 38 | #2,023 |
| 1968 | 32 | #2,126 |
| 1967 | 29 | #2,212 |
| 1966 | 30 | #2,146 |
| 1965 | 37 | #1,887 |
| 1964 | 49 | #1,635 |
| 1963 | 53 | #1,546 |
| 1962 | 42 | #1,756 |
| 1961 | 67 | #1,359 |
| 1960 | 85 | #1,180 |
| 1959 | 78 | #1,207 |
| 1958 | 88 | #1,128 |
| 1957 | 81 | #1,172 |
| 1956 | 106 | #987 |
| 1955 | 97 | #1,019 |
| 1954 | 110 | #915 |
| 1953 | 137 | #781 |
| 1952 | 128 | #799 |
| 1951 | 140 | #740 |
| 1950 | 157 | #680 |
| 1949 | 132 | #744 |
| 1948 | 182 | #612 |
| 1947 | 181 | #624 |
| 1946 | 197 | #568 |
| 1945 | 184 | #537 |
| 1944 | 176 | #544 |
| 1943 | 225 | #496 |
| 1942 | 261 | #459 |
| 1941 | 240 | #440 |
| 1940 | 296 | #393 |
| 1939 | 271 | #409 |
| 1938 | 331 | #356 |
| 1937 | 321 | #360 |
| 1936 | 351 | #331 |
| 1935 | 390 | #318 |
| 1934 | 427 | #302 |
| 1933 | 443 | #286 |
| 1932 | 483 | #284 |
| 1931 | 456 | #294 |
| 1930 | 511 | #294 |
| 1929 | 489 | #296 |
| 1928 | 498 | #301 |
| 1927 | 562 | #282 |
| 1926 | 531 | #291 |
| 1925 | 627 | #266 |
| 1924 | 635 | #261 |
| 1923 | 624 | #257 |
| 1922 | 647 | #257 |
| 1921 | 760 | #238 |
| 1920 | 661 | #256 |
| 1919 | 666 | #248 |
| 1918 | 687 | #246 |
| 1917 | 766 | #220 |
| 1916 | 722 | #226 |
| 1915 | 689 | #228 |
| 1914 | 530 | #232 |
| 1913 | 491 | #211 |
| 1912 | 422 | #218 |
| 1911 | 322 | #220 |
| 1910 | 318 | #202 |
| 1909 | 277 | #207 |
| 1908 | 288 | #192 |
| 1907 | 261 | #201 |
| 1906 | 241 | #197 |
| 1905 | 229 | #201 |
| 1904 | 226 | #200 |
| 1903 | 206 | #203 |
| 1902 | 247 | #185 |
| 1901 | 205 | #199 |
| 1900 | 256 | #198 |
| 1899 | 192 | #199 |
| 1898 | 246 | #186 |
| 1897 | 209 | #189 |
| 1896 | 215 | #187 |
| 1895 | 247 | #170 |
| 1894 | 215 | #181 |
| 1893 | 187 | #188 |
| 1892 | 216 | #171 |
| 1891 | 190 | #175 |
| 1890 | 221 | #160 |
| 1889 | 194 | #156 |
| 1888 | 188 | #159 |
| 1887 | 146 | #168 |
| 1886 | 175 | #144 |
| 1885 | 151 | #151 |
| 1884 | 120 | #162 |
| 1883 | 116 | #153 |
| 1882 | 103 | #159 |
| 1881 | 75 | #175 |
| 1880 | 77 | #169 |
Nicknames for Nell
- Nellie 476 girls in the UK in 2025
Names like Nell
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Hazel Frankie Olive Pearl Mabel Lottie Grace Ruby Rose Daisy Mae Elsie
Other spellings of Nell
Names related to Nell
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