Nell is an established variant of Nellie that peaked in 1917 and has since faded.
Nell is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,628 for girl births in the United States (and #2,996 across all names), given to 128 babies. Nell was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1917 (766 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | 128 | #1,628 | — |
| 2024 | 150 | 150 | #1,463 | — |
| 2023 | 124 | 124 | #1,679 | — |
| 2022 | 119 | 119 | #1,749 | — |
| 2021 | 96 | 96 | #2,020 | — |
| 2020 | 79 | 79 | #2,273 | — |
| 2019 | 115 | 115 | #1,784 | — |
| 2018 | 72 | 72 | #2,471 | — |
| 2017 | 87 | 87 | #2,196 | — |
| 2016 | 70 | 70 | #2,556 | — |
| 2015 | 61 | 61 | #2,879 | — |
| 2014 | 42 | 42 | #3,701 | — |
| 2013 | 44 | 44 | #3,557 | — |
| 2012 | 32 | 32 | #4,574 | — |
| 2011 | 32 | 32 | #4,538 | — |
| 2010 | 24 | 24 | #5,741 | — |
| 2009 | 30 | 30 | #4,904 | — |
| 2008 | 20 | 20 | #6,743 | — |
| 2007 | 24 | 24 | #5,850 | — |
| 2006 | 30 | 30 | #4,764 | — |
| 2005 | 27 | 27 | #4,925 | — |
| 2004 | 19 | 19 | #6,431 | — |
| 2003 | 23 | 23 | #5,360 | — |
| 2002 | 23 | 23 | #5,223 | — |
| 2001 | 35 | 35 | #3,762 | — |
| 2000 | 28 | 28 | #4,371 | — |
| 1999 | 31 | 31 | #3,862 | — |
| 1998 | 32 | 32 | #3,713 | — |
| 1997 | 32 | — | #3,599 | — |
| 1996 | 36 | — | #3,282 | — |
| 1995 | 18 | — | #5,378 | — |
| 1994 | 19 | — | #5,174 | — |
| 1993 | 19 | — | #5,135 | — |
| 1992 | 20 | — | #4,986 | — |
| 1991 | 21 | — | #4,759 | — |
| 1990 | 31 | — | #3,489 | — |
| 1989 | 24 | — | #4,085 | — |
| 1988 | 25 | — | #3,773 | — |
| 1987 | 29 | — | #3,233 | — |
| 1986 | 22 | — | #3,843 | — |
| 1985 | 24 | — | #3,591 | — |
| 1984 | 28 | — | #3,120 | — |
| 1983 | 29 | — | #2,959 | — |
| 1982 | 28 | — | #3,148 | — |
| 1981 | 22 | — | #3,699 | — |
| 1980 | 40 | — | #2,422 | — |
| 1979 | 36 | — | #2,561 | — |
| 1978 | 26 | — | #3,065 | — |
| 1977 | 32 | — | #3,054 | #5,636 |
| 1976 | 28 | — | #2,775 | — |
| 1975 | 34 | — | #2,392 | — |
| 1974 | 43 | — | #1,987 | — |
| 1973 | 42 | — | #1,966 | — |
| 1972 | 34 | — | #2,262 | — |
| 1971 | 35 | — | #2,285 | — |
| 1970 | 36 | — | #2,225 | — |
| 1969 | 38 | — | #2,045 | — |
| 1968 | 32 | — | #2,154 | — |
| 1967 | 29 | — | #2,254 | — |
| 1966 | 30 | — | #2,180 | — |
| 1965 | 37 | — | #1,904 | — |
| 1964 | 49 | — | #1,657 | — |
| 1963 | 53 | — | #1,560 | — |
| 1962 | 42 | — | #1,774 | — |
| 1961 | 67 | — | #1,369 | — |
| 1960 | 85 | — | #1,183 | — |
| 1959 | 78 | — | #1,212 | — |
| 1958 | 88 | — | #1,135 | — |
| 1957 | 81 | — | #1,175 | — |
| 1956 | 106 | — | #997 | — |
| 1955 | 97 | — | #1,022 | — |
| 1954 | 110 | — | #918 | — |
| 1953 | 137 | — | #784 | — |
| 1952 | 128 | — | #805 | — |
| 1951 | 140 | — | #743 | — |
| 1950 | 157 | — | #684 | — |
| 1949 | 132 | — | #747 | — |
| 1948 | 182 | — | #613 | — |
| 1947 | 181 | — | #625 | — |
| 1946 | 197 | — | #568 | — |
| 1945 | 184 | — | #540 | — |
| 1944 | 176 | — | #546 | — |
| 1943 | 225 | — | #498 | — |
| 1942 | 261 | — | #461 | — |
| 1941 | 240 | — | #441 | — |
| 1940 | 296 | — | #393 | — |
| 1939 | 276 | — | #410 | #3,824 |
| 1938 | 331 | — | #356 | — |
| 1937 | 321 | — | #360 | — |
| 1936 | 351 | — | #332 | — |
| 1935 | 396 | — | #319 | #3,533 |
| 1934 | 427 | — | #302 | — |
| 1933 | 452 | — | #286 | #2,671 |
| 1932 | 483 | — | #284 | — |
| 1931 | 456 | — | #294 | — |
| 1930 | 511 | — | #294 | — |
| 1929 | 489 | — | #296 | — |
| 1928 | 504 | — | #301 | #4,011 |
| 1927 | 568 | — | #283 | #4,060 |
| 1926 | 531 | — | #291 | — |
| 1925 | 627 | — | #266 | — |
| 1924 | 640 | — | #262 | #4,769 |
| 1923 | 629 | — | #257 | #4,693 |
| 1922 | 654 | — | #257 | #3,767 |
| 1921 | 760 | — | #238 | — |
| 1920 | 661 | — | #256 | — |
| 1919 | 674 | — | #248 | #3,299 |
| 1918 | 696 | — | #246 | #3,030 |
| 1917 | 766 | — | #221 | — |
| 1916 | 729 | — | #226 | #3,404 |
| 1915 | 689 | — | #228 | — |
| 1914 | 530 | — | #232 | — |
| 1913 | 499 | — | #211 | #2,213 |
| 1912 | 422 | — | #218 | — |
| 1911 | 322 | — | #220 | — |
| 1910 | 324 | — | #203 | #1,533 |
| 1909 | 277 | — | #207 | — |
| 1908 | 288 | — | #193 | — |
| 1907 | 261 | — | #201 | — |
| 1906 | 241 | — | #197 | — |
| 1905 | 229 | — | #201 | — |
| 1904 | 226 | — | #200 | — |
| 1903 | 206 | — | #204 | — |
| 1902 | 247 | — | #186 | — |
| 1901 | 205 | — | #200 | — |
| 1900 | 261 | — | #198 | #1,440 |
| 1899 | 192 | — | #201 | — |
| 1898 | 246 | — | #186 | — |
| 1897 | 209 | — | #190 | — |
| 1896 | 215 | — | #187 | — |
| 1895 | 247 | — | #171 | — |
| 1894 | 215 | — | #181 | — |
| 1893 | 187 | — | #188 | — |
| 1892 | 216 | — | #172 | — |
| 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 | — | #154 | — |
| 1882 | 103 | — | #159 | — |
| 1881 | 75 | — | #175 | — |
| 1880 | 77 | — | #170 | — |