Girl's name
Nellie
Say it NEL-ee
English origin from Eleanor, perhaps other
2 syllables
Where Nellie is loved, common and rare
Common in Sweden. Rare in the UK, Canada, Norway and eight more places.
1 in 553 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Sweden 95thEngland and Wales 101stNorthern Ireland 205th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 15 of the 40 official lists, among them Sweden (95th), England and Wales (101st) and Northern Ireland (205th).
Show all 15 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 95th 2025 | 110 | about 1 in 365 |
| England and Wales | 101st 2025 | 458 | 1 in 553 |
| Northern Ireland | 205th 2025 | 8 | 1 in 911 |
| Quebec province | 208th 2025 | 28 | about 1 in 929 |
| Norway | 229th 2025 | 18 | 1 in 1,211 |
| Ireland | 304th 2025 | 13 | 1 in 1,625 |
| Scotland | 324th 2025 | 10 | 1 in 1,789 |
| Ontario province | 616th 2024 | 20 | about 1 in 2,723 |
| Cologne city | 630th 2023 | 1 | about 1 in 6,143 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| Berlin city | 757th 2023 | 3 | about 1 in 4,835 |
| Austria | 1305th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 17,861 |
| Switzerland | 1414th 2025 | 3 | 1 in 11,331 |
| France | 3366th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 57,359 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
Rare, below the listed names: British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Munich, Bonn, Rostock, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Nellie is a pet form, made by adding -ie to Nell, in the same way that Neddie came from Edward. It is linked to Eleanor, whose meaning is given, with a hedge, as perhaps 'other'.
Read the restShow less
Two syllables, said NEL-ee, with the stress on the first. Nell is the shorter form. Nelly and Nelli are alternative spellings, and Eleanor remains the full name for those who want one.
Canadian records show it was most popular in the 1920s, and it has since returned as a vintage choice. England and Wales places it just outside the top 100, and it is also used in Northern Ireland and Quebec, as well as in Sweden and Norway. It is rising in more regions than it is falling, so the revival appears to be continuing.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
Over time
Over five years: rising in 6 of 10 regions, falling in 2.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 310 | 233 | 180 | 114 | 120 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 93 | 101 |
| Scotland | 501 | 415 | 406 | 636 | 274 | 380 | 304 | 230 | 324 | |
| Northern Ireland | 440 | 336 | 397 | 266 | 243 | 264 | 253 | 205 | ||
| Ireland | 868 | 734 | 336 | 464 | 284 | 339 | 232 | 304 | ||
| Ontario | 914 | 825 | 1204 | 738 | 1020 | 654 | 634 | 721 | 616 | |
| Quebec | 357 | 282 | 370 | 266 | 289 | 257 | 314 | 260 | 259 | 208 |
| France | 2573 | 3622 | 2516 | 3634 | 2508 | 3608 | 3650 | 3521 | 3443 | 3366 |
| Norway | 302 | 291 | 237 | 146 | 164 | 195 | 302 | 165 | 171 | 229 |
| Sweden | 31 | 32 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 75 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 95 |
| Poland | 500 | 383 | 574 | 766 | 706 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | 458 | 180.8 |
| 2024 | 93 | 500 | 193.8 |
| 2023 | 97 | 509 | 198.4 |
| 2022 | 101 | 496 | 188.2 |
| 2021 | 101 | 506 | 184.6 |
| 2020 | 120 | 400 | 149.0 |
| 2019 | 114 | 449 | 160.3 |
| 2018 | 180 | 291 | 100.9 |
| 2017 | 233 | 216 | 72.2 |
| 2016 | 310 | 159 | 51.8 |
| 2015 | 307 | 157 | 51.0 |
| 2014 | 668 | 59 | 19.2 |
| 2013 | 865 | 43 | 13.9 |
| 2012 | 812 | 47 | 14.6 |
| 2011 | 1269 | 25 | 7.8 |
| 2010 | 878 | 40 | 12.5 |
| 2009 | 1004 | 32 | 10.2 |
| 2008 | 1247 | 23 | 7.3 |
| 2007 | 963 | 31 | 10.1 |
| 2006 | 1502 | 16 | 5.3 |
| 2005 | 1343 | 17 | 5.9 |
| 2004 | 1312 | 17 | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 1176 | 19 | 6.8 |
| 2002 | 1372 | 14 | 5.2 |
| 2001 | 2023 | 8 | 3.0 |
| 1999 | 2770 | 5 | 1.8 |
| 1998 | 3142 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 2096 | 7 | 2.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Nellie in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1935. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1925, at 244.7 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Nellie per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 1925 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Nellie
1 in 1,627 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 335 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Nellie. Same first letter as Nellie.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 80 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Nellie. Ends in -ie, like Nellie.
1 in 649 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 2,556 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Nellie.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Nellie.
Middle names for Nellie
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Nellie Grace
2-1 beats · initials NG
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Nellie Olivia
2-4 beats · initials NO · Nellie slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Nellie slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Nellie Sophia
2-3 beats · initials NS
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Nellie Maria
2-3 beats · initials NM
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Nellie Rose
2-1 beats · initials NR
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Nellie Emily
2-3 beats · initials NE · Nellie slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Nellie slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Nellie Julia
2-3 beats · initials NJ
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Nellie Miriam
2-3 beats · initials NM
Changes the beat after Nellie: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Nellie
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 649 in England and Wales
85% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 291 in Northern Ireland
84% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
83% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 187 in Northern Ireland
83% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
81% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 80 in Northern Ireland
81% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 632 in England and Wales
81% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
1 in 607 in Northern Ireland
81% alike: moves with Nellie across countries and decades.
Famous people named Nellie
Nellie Bly, Nellie Tayloe Ross, Nellie McClung, Nellie Connally, Nellie Halstead and Nellie McKay.
Show all 6Show less
-
American journalist 1864 to 1922
-
First woman state governor in the U.S. 1876 to 1977
-
Canadian author, social activist, suffragette & politician (1873-1951)
-
First Lady of Texas from 1963 to 1969 1919 to 2006
-
British athlete (1910-1991)
-
American musician born 1982
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Nellie
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Nellie?
Her best rank is No. 95 in Sweden in 2025, about 1 in 365 girls. She is in the published lists of 15 of our 40 regions.
What does Nellie mean?
Nellie takes her meaning from Eleanor: "perhaps other", per Wiktionary.
How do you pronounce Nellie?
NEL-ee, with 2 syllables.
Is Nellie getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 6 of 10 regions, falling in 2.
Which sister names go with Nellie?
The deck's top five sisters for Nellie: May, Harriet, Nancy, Mabel and Ruth. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.