Nellie remains a common girls' name (#533 in 2025), down from a peak of #14 in 1881.
Nellie is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #533 for girl births in the United States (and #1,072 across all names), given to 567 babies. Nellie was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1918 (4,048 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 567 | 567 | #533 | — |
| 2024 | 592 | 592 | #521 | — |
| 2023 | 486 | 486 | #615 | — |
| 2022 | 446 | 446 | #663 | — |
| 2021 | 384 | 384 | #743 | — |
| 2020 | 325 | 325 | #842 | — |
| 2019 | 311 | 311 | #864 | — |
| 2018 | 239 | 239 | #1,070 | — |
| 2017 | 196 | 196 | #1,228 | — |
| 2016 | 202 | 202 | #1,222 | — |
| 2015 | 197 | 197 | #1,245 | — |
| 2014 | 183 | 183 | #1,303 | — |
| 2013 | 158 | 158 | #1,434 | — |
| 2012 | 139 | 139 | #1,572 | — |
| 2011 | 116 | 116 | #1,767 | — |
| 2010 | 118 | 118 | #1,757 | — |
| 2009 | 125 | 125 | #1,752 | — |
| 2008 | 113 | 113 | #1,886 | — |
| 2007 | 119 | 119 | #1,800 | — |
| 2006 | 99 | 99 | #2,013 | — |
| 2005 | 84 | 84 | #2,198 | — |
| 2004 | 97 | 97 | #1,938 | — |
| 2003 | 88 | 88 | #2,041 | — |
| 2002 | 93 | 93 | #1,909 | — |
| 2001 | 85 | 85 | #2,007 | — |
| 2000 | 68 | 68 | #2,300 | — |
| 1999 | 85 | 85 | #1,868 | — |
| 1998 | 86 | 86 | #1,815 | — |
| 1997 | 76 | — | #1,923 | — |
| 1996 | 76 | — | #1,910 | — |
| 1995 | 87 | — | #1,697 | — |
| 1994 | 76 | — | #1,884 | — |
| 1993 | 71 | — | #1,982 | — |
| 1992 | 82 | — | #1,780 | — |
| 1991 | 81 | — | #1,774 | — |
| 1990 | 118 | — | #1,353 | — |
| 1989 | 98 | — | #1,487 | — |
| 1988 | 97 | — | #1,433 | — |
| 1987 | 72 | — | #1,694 | — |
| 1986 | 96 | — | #1,357 | — |
| 1985 | 106 | — | #1,274 | — |
| 1984 | 114 | — | #1,172 | — |
| 1983 | 129 | — | #1,078 | — |
| 1982 | 127 | — | #1,112 | — |
| 1981 | 135 | — | #1,059 | — |
| 1980 | 138 | — | #1,041 | — |
| 1979 | 154 | — | #953 | — |
| 1978 | 143 | — | #974 | — |
| 1977 | 134 | — | #1,006 | — |
| 1976 | 131 | — | #974 | — |
| 1975 | 151 | — | #883 | — |
| 1974 | 156 | — | #846 | — |
| 1973 | 136 | — | #910 | — |
| 1972 | 151 | — | #859 | — |
| 1971 | 164 | — | #839 | — |
| 1970 | 159 | — | #852 | — |
| 1969 | 147 | — | #859 | — |
| 1968 | 165 | — | #781 | — |
| 1967 | 197 | — | #697 | — |
| 1966 | 213 | — | #665 | — |
| 1965 | 202 | — | #691 | — |
| 1964 | 262 | — | #627 | — |
| 1963 | 259 | — | #630 | — |
| 1962 | 266 | — | #615 | — |
| 1961 | 335 | — | #537 | — |
| 1960 | 363 | — | #507 | — |
| 1959 | 384 | — | #500 | — |
| 1958 | 382 | — | #489 | — |
| 1957 | 432 | — | #456 | — |
| 1956 | 487 | — | #410 | — |
| 1955 | 521 | — | #386 | — |
| 1954 | 550 | — | #372 | — |
| 1953 | 606 | — | #336 | — |
| 1952 | 637 | — | #321 | — |
| 1951 | 604 | — | #322 | — |
| 1950 | 757 | — | #283 | — |
| 1949 | 743 | — | #281 | — |
| 1948 | 891 | — | #250 | — |
| 1947 | 882 | — | #250 | #3,634 |
| 1946 | 885 | — | #240 | — |
| 1945 | 938 | — | #210 | #3,638 |
| 1944 | 1,011 | — | #199 | — |
| 1943 | 1,077 | — | #197 | — |
| 1942 | 1,218 | — | #183 | #2,350 |
| 1941 | 1,292 | — | #167 | #2,816 |
| 1940 | 1,307 | — | #161 | #3,047 |
| 1939 | 1,383 | — | #157 | #2,400 |
| 1938 | 1,467 | — | #152 | #2,065 |
| 1937 | 1,600 | — | #140 | #2,427 |
| 1936 | 1,674 | — | #135 | #2,569 |
| 1935 | 1,753 | — | #131 | #1,897 |
| 1934 | 1,851 | — | #126 | #1,994 |
| 1933 | 1,880 | — | #120 | #2,065 |
| 1932 | 1,996 | — | #123 | #1,831 |
| 1931 | 2,003 | — | #119 | #1,903 |
| 1930 | 2,228 | — | #113 | #2,038 |
| 1929 | 2,214 | — | #113 | #1,979 |
| 1928 | 2,360 | — | #111 | #2,232 |
| 1927 | 2,689 | — | #105 | #2,646 |
| 1926 | 2,740 | — | #102 | #1,887 |
| 1925 | 2,947 | — | #98 | #2,874 |
| 1924 | 3,094 | — | #92 | #1,878 |
| 1923 | 3,192 | — | #88 | #3,370 |
| 1922 | 3,282 | — | #83 | #3,450 |
| 1921 | 3,524 | — | #80 | #2,747 |
| 1920 | 3,775 | — | #76 | #2,419 |
| 1919 | 3,738 | — | #69 | #2,465 |
| 1918 | 4,057 | — | #65 | #3,031 |
| 1917 | 3,821 | — | #64 | #2,247 |
| 1916 | 3,871 | — | #61 | #2,867 |
| 1915 | 3,690 | — | #63 | #2,403 |
| 1914 | 2,959 | — | #61 | #2,826 |
| 1913 | 2,651 | — | #58 | #2,702 |
| 1912 | 2,375 | — | #59 | #1,702 |
| 1911 | 1,872 | — | #54 | #1,679 |
| 1910 | 1,934 | — | #51 | #1,534 |
| 1909 | 1,768 | — | #51 | — |
| 1908 | 1,764 | — | #49 | #1,186 |
| 1907 | 1,678 | — | #50 | #1,172 |
| 1906 | 1,603 | — | #49 | #1,083 |
| 1905 | 1,633 | — | #48 | #1,057 |
| 1904 | 1,560 | — | #44 | — |
| 1903 | 1,491 | — | #45 | — |
| 1902 | 1,572 | — | #41 | #1,106 |
| 1901 | 1,463 | — | #41 | #762 |
| 1900 | 1,862 | — | #43 | #767 |
| 1899 | 1,516 | — | #41 | #1,015 |
| 1898 | 1,816 | — | #36 | #1,088 |
| 1897 | 1,699 | — | #37 | #1,027 |
| 1896 | 1,702 | — | #34 | #1,068 |
| 1895 | 1,842 | — | #30 | #781 |
| 1894 | 1,778 | — | #30 | #658 |
| 1893 | 1,786 | — | #27 | #475 |
| 1892 | 1,747 | — | #30 | #780 |
| 1891 | 1,656 | — | #25 | #682 |
| 1890 | 1,830 | — | #20 | #719 |
| 1889 | 1,760 | — | #19 | #768 |
| 1888 | 1,744 | — | #21 | #798 |
| 1887 | 1,467 | — | #19 | #619 |
| 1886 | 1,497 | — | #17 | #1,063 |
| 1885 | 1,438 | — | #16 | #902 |
| 1884 | 1,426 | — | #17 | #688 |
| 1883 | 1,246 | — | #17 | — |
| 1882 | 1,144 | — | #19 | #915 |
| 1881 | 1,103 | — | #14 | #756 |
| 1880 | 1,001 | — | #18 | #881 |