Nelson
Boy · NEL-son · English
Nelson is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “son of Neil”. In 2025 it ranked 1,337th for boys in the UK (22 babies) and 824th for boys in the US (300 babies).
What does Nelson mean?
English: surname, from Neil or Nell
“son of Neil”
Admiral Horatio Nelson, victor of Trafalgar, and Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black president, are famous bearers.
- Say it
- NEL-son
More on Wiktionary.
Is Nelson a girl's or a boy's name?
Nelson is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 22 boys in the UK and 300 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nelson in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,337among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 22about 1 in 14,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 31% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 22 boys in the UK were named Nelson, making it the 1,337th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,078th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 43 boys.
Half of all the boys named Nelson in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,405th in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
Nelson in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #1,337 |
| 2024 | 19 | #1,470 |
| 2023 | 25 | #1,214 |
| 2022 | 25 | #1,181 |
| 2021 | 24 | #1,227 |
| 2020 | 28 | #1,078 |
| 2019 | 35 | #931 |
| 2018 | 33 | #980 |
| 2017 | 34 | #985 |
| 2016 | 40 | #863 |
| 2015 | 23 | #1,237 |
| 2014 | 39 | #860 |
| 2013 | 34 | #938 |
| 2012 | 43 | #815 |
| 2011 | 35 | #906 |
| 2010 | 25 | #1,149 |
| 2009 | 31 | #956 |
| 2008 | 35 | #872 |
| 2007 | 27 | #991 |
| 2006 | 26 | #986 |
| 2005 | 21 | #1,098 |
| 2004 | 16 | #1,239 |
| 2003 | 15 | #1,205 |
| 2002 | 18 | #1,030 |
| 2001 | 20 | #913 |
| 2000 | 20 | #882 |
| 1999 | 16 | #1,001 |
| 1998 | 18 | #906 |
| 1997 | 29 | #641 |
| 1996 | 18 | #852 |
How popular is Nelson in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #824among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 300about 1 in 5,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 300 boys in the US were named Nelson, making it the 824th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 670th. Its busiest year was 1959, with 1,084 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Nelson than any year since 1911.
Half of all the boys named Nelson in the US since 1880 were born between 1938 and 1989, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nelson in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 300 | #824 |
| 2024 | 323 | #777 |
| 2023 | 311 | #797 |
| 2022 | 315 | #797 |
| 2021 | 358 | #722 |
| 2020 | 388 | #670 |
| 2019 | 407 | #654 |
| 2018 | 374 | #671 |
| 2017 | 411 | #631 |
| 2016 | 431 | #621 |
| 2015 | 426 | #626 |
| 2014 | 409 | #645 |
| 2013 | 442 | #581 |
| 2012 | 466 | #558 |
| 2011 | 457 | #556 |
| 2010 | 447 | #568 |
| 2009 | 520 | #519 |
| 2008 | 551 | #497 |
| 2007 | 584 | #467 |
| 2006 | 605 | #448 |
| 2005 | 595 | #441 |
| 2004 | 574 | #450 |
| 2003 | 612 | #420 |
| 2002 | 619 | #408 |
| 2001 | 615 | #407 |
| 2000 | 602 | #414 |
| 1999 | 605 | #402 |
| 1998 | 615 | #397 |
| 1997 | 619 | #387 |
| 1996 | 621 | #377 |
| 1995 | 681 | #356 |
| 1994 | 720 | #342 |
| 1993 | 761 | #333 |
| 1992 | 801 | #319 |
| 1991 | 810 | #318 |
| 1990 | 931 | #279 |
| 1989 | 856 | #287 |
| 1988 | 758 | #300 |
| 1987 | 712 | #302 |
| 1986 | 714 | #293 |
| 1985 | 706 | #290 |
| 1984 | 651 | #303 |
| 1983 | 630 | #312 |
| 1982 | 658 | #302 |
| 1981 | 640 | #302 |
| 1980 | 684 | #297 |
| 1979 | 670 | #297 |
| 1978 | 680 | #285 |
| 1977 | 670 | #292 |
| 1976 | 731 | #266 |
| 1975 | 690 | #277 |
| 1974 | 675 | #278 |
| 1973 | 580 | #303 |
| 1972 | 620 | #300 |
| 1971 | 775 | #273 |
| 1970 | 756 | #278 |
| 1969 | 764 | #270 |
| 1968 | 764 | #261 |
| 1967 | 789 | #255 |
| 1966 | 724 | #274 |
| 1965 | 815 | #259 |
| 1964 | 826 | #268 |
| 1963 | 982 | #246 |
| 1962 | 931 | #253 |
| 1961 | 951 | #253 |
| 1960 | 1,016 | #250 |
| 1959 | 1,084 | #244 |
| 1958 | 948 | #254 |
| 1957 | 942 | #250 |
| 1956 | 915 | #241 |
| 1955 | 914 | #235 |
| 1954 | 947 | #228 |
| 1953 | 1,012 | #214 |
| 1952 | 830 | #232 |
| 1951 | 802 | #240 |
| 1950 | 804 | #228 |
| 1949 | 782 | #232 |
| 1948 | 814 | #227 |
| 1947 | 814 | #224 |
| 1946 | 740 | #222 |
| 1945 | 696 | #206 |
| 1944 | 715 | #207 |
| 1943 | 794 | #203 |
| 1942 | 870 | #181 |
| 1941 | 791 | #186 |
| 1940 | 807 | #182 |
| 1939 | 801 | #178 |
| 1938 | 795 | #182 |
| 1937 | 661 | #194 |
| 1936 | 631 | #195 |
| 1935 | 578 | #209 |
| 1934 | 569 | #214 |
| 1933 | 572 | #205 |
| 1932 | 629 | #204 |
| 1931 | 607 | #209 |
| 1930 | 630 | #209 |
| 1929 | 590 | #215 |
| 1928 | 681 | #201 |
| 1927 | 673 | #206 |
| 1926 | 685 | #202 |
| 1925 | 738 | #186 |
| 1924 | 753 | #188 |
| 1923 | 704 | #195 |
| 1922 | 659 | #201 |
| 1921 | 704 | #194 |
| 1920 | 740 | #186 |
| 1919 | 682 | #187 |
| 1918 | 664 | #190 |
| 1917 | 605 | #194 |
| 1916 | 619 | #188 |
| 1915 | 606 | #184 |
| 1914 | 527 | #171 |
| 1913 | 357 | #188 |
| 1912 | 349 | #166 |
| 1911 | 180 | #175 |
| 1910 | 142 | #189 |
| 1909 | 113 | #193 |
| 1908 | 112 | #189 |
| 1907 | 129 | #167 |
| 1906 | 100 | #180 |
| 1905 | 126 | #160 |
| 1904 | 81 | #202 |
| 1903 | 93 | #175 |
| 1902 | 78 | #201 |
| 1901 | 97 | #159 |
| 1900 | 135 | #154 |
| 1899 | 107 | #145 |
| 1898 | 112 | #151 |
| 1897 | 104 | #149 |
| 1896 | 86 | #190 |
| 1895 | 108 | #142 |
| 1894 | 76 | #194 |
| 1893 | 72 | #199 |
| 1892 | 98 | #161 |
| 1891 | 86 | #152 |
| 1890 | 71 | #190 |
| 1889 | 80 | #168 |
| 1888 | 85 | #175 |
| 1887 | 62 | #195 |
| 1886 | 78 | #176 |
| 1885 | 83 | #160 |
| 1884 | 89 | #154 |
| 1883 | 79 | #160 |
| 1882 | 104 | #134 |
| 1881 | 90 | #137 |
| 1880 | 99 | #137 |
Nicknames for Nelson
- Nel 44 girls in the UK in 2025
Names like Nelson
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Stanley Chester Arthur Reuben Harley Frederick Edward Albert Harris Harrison Freddie Otis
Names related to Nelson
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