Nels
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- NELZ
- Origin
- Greek
- US rank, 2025
- #4,538 for boys
Nels is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “victory of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 4,538th for boys in the US (22 babies).
What does Nels mean?
Greek: Scandinavian form of Nicholas, via Nils
“victory of the people”
A Scandinavian-American form of Nils, the Scandinavian version of Nicholas.
Is Nels a girl's or a boy's name?
Nels is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 22 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nels in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,538among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 22about 1 in 78,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 48% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 22 boys in the US were named Nels, making it the 4,538th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,447th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 65 boys.
Half of all the boys named Nels in the US since 1880 were born between 1921 and 1973, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nels in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #4,538 |
| 2024 | 18 | #5,237 |
| 2023 | 19 | #5,070 |
| 2022 | 19 | #5,015 |
| 2021 | 23 | #4,358 |
| 2020 | 16 | #5,447 |
| 2019 | 13 | #6,401 |
| 2018 | 11 | #7,132 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,522 |
| 2016 | 15 | #5,785 |
| 2015 | 14 | #5,995 |
| 2014 | 21 | #4,534 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7,044 |
| 2011 | 12 | #6,572 |
| 2010 | 17 | #5,248 |
| 2009 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2008 | 10 | #7,693 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6,618 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9,579 |
| 2005 | 15 | #5,273 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6,132 |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 14 | #5,135 |
| 2000 | 14 | #5,034 |
| 1999 | 8 | #7,132 |
| 1998 | 13 | #4,868 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,446 |
| 1996 | 19 | #3,543 |
| 1995 | 11 | #5,118 |
| 1994 | 12 | #4,797 |
| 1993 | 18 | #3,495 |
| 1992 | 17 | #3,597 |
| 1991 | 17 | #3,456 |
| 1990 | 23 | #2,774 |
| 1989 | 25 | #2,539 |
| 1988 | 15 | #3,345 |
| 1987 | 22 | #2,464 |
| 1986 | 22 | #2,427 |
| 1985 | 18 | #2,708 |
| 1984 | 27 | #1,978 |
| 1983 | 20 | #2,407 |
| 1982 | 41 | #1,513 |
| 1981 | 31 | #1,810 |
| 1980 | 43 | #1,449 |
| 1979 | 28 | #1,903 |
| 1978 | 22 | #2,134 |
| 1977 | 27 | #1,858 |
| 1976 | 37 | #1,469 |
| 1975 | 21 | #2,133 |
| 1974 | 29 | #1,659 |
| 1973 | 32 | #1,514 |
| 1972 | 23 | #1,871 |
| 1971 | 28 | #1,667 |
| 1970 | 29 | #1,581 |
| 1969 | 33 | #1,396 |
| 1968 | 24 | #1,613 |
| 1967 | 33 | #1,311 |
| 1966 | 41 | #1,164 |
| 1965 | 32 | #1,359 |
| 1964 | 27 | #1,509 |
| 1963 | 38 | #1,254 |
| 1962 | 31 | #1,402 |
| 1961 | 46 | #1,155 |
| 1960 | 38 | #1,272 |
| 1959 | 43 | #1,181 |
| 1958 | 42 | #1,185 |
| 1957 | 43 | #1,184 |
| 1956 | 51 | #1,055 |
| 1955 | 55 | #1,010 |
| 1954 | 36 | #1,241 |
| 1953 | 48 | #1,045 |
| 1952 | 46 | #1,065 |
| 1951 | 45 | #1,069 |
| 1950 | 45 | #1,051 |
| 1949 | 41 | #1,096 |
| 1948 | 36 | #1,193 |
| 1947 | 36 | #1,212 |
| 1946 | 46 | #1,003 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,295 |
| 1944 | 35 | #1,120 |
| 1943 | 36 | #1,140 |
| 1942 | 35 | #1,167 |
| 1941 | 23 | #1,411 |
| 1940 | 35 | #1,107 |
| 1939 | 31 | #1,168 |
| 1938 | 28 | #1,247 |
| 1937 | 38 | #1,031 |
| 1936 | 30 | #1,205 |
| 1935 | 26 | #1,326 |
| 1934 | 32 | #1,173 |
| 1933 | 40 | #1,013 |
| 1932 | 24 | #1,426 |
| 1931 | 42 | #1,031 |
| 1930 | 26 | #1,428 |
| 1929 | 26 | #1,413 |
| 1928 | 32 | #1,272 |
| 1927 | 52 | #964 |
| 1926 | 39 | #1,144 |
| 1925 | 47 | #998 |
| 1924 | 37 | #1,187 |
| 1923 | 38 | #1,157 |
| 1922 | 38 | #1,158 |
| 1921 | 45 | #1,045 |
| 1920 | 44 | #1,045 |
| 1919 | 34 | #1,207 |
| 1918 | 65 | #809 |
| 1917 | 46 | #946 |
| 1916 | 58 | #810 |
| 1915 | 56 | #816 |
| 1914 | 45 | #788 |
| 1913 | 39 | #745 |
| 1912 | 30 | #800 |
| 1911 | 18 | #758 |
| 1910 | 11 | #980 |
| 1909 | 11 | #893 |
| 1908 | 13 | #744 |
| 1907 | 16 | #634 |
| 1906 | 11 | #752 |
| 1905 | 14 | #636 |
| 1904 | 7 | #966 |
| 1903 | 9 | #783 |
| 1902 | 14 | #582 |
| 1901 | 8 | #778 |
| 1900 | 8 | #967 |
| 1899 | 14 | #521 |
| 1898 | 19 | #473 |
| 1897 | 14 | #556 |
| 1896 | 21 | #424 |
| 1895 | 20 | #437 |
| 1894 | 20 | #419 |
| 1893 | 32 | #307 |
| 1892 | 19 | #445 |
| 1891 | 18 | #411 |
| 1890 | 15 | #489 |
| 1889 | 17 | #446 |
| 1888 | 32 | #314 |
| 1887 | 19 | #377 |
| 1886 | 15 | #470 |
| 1885 | 20 | #399 |
| 1884 | 32 | #306 |
| 1883 | 19 | #402 |
| 1882 | 26 | #347 |
| 1881 | 18 | #395 |
| 1880 | 12 | #526 |
Names like Nels
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
George Charles James John Lewis Sam Frank Louis Arthur William Mack Otis
Names related to Nels
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nels: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nels, updated 20 October 2026.