Nelly is an uncommon variant of Nellie that peaked in 2007 and remains in steady use.
Nelly is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,294 among girls (173) and #8,710 among boys (9) — overall #2,354 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 182 | 182 | #1,294 | #8,710 |
| 2024 | 174 | 174 | #1,362 | #11,926 |
| 2023 | 147 | 147 | #1,517 | #13,576 |
| 2022 | 158 | 158 | #1,428 | — |
| 2021 | 144 | 144 | #1,561 | #8,637 |
| 2020 | 92 | 92 | #2,029 | — |
| 2019 | 152 | 152 | #1,496 | #11,733 |
| 2018 | 99 | 99 | #1,995 | — |
| 2017 | 128 | 128 | #1,683 | — |
| 2016 | 104 | 104 | #1,938 | — |
| 2015 | 128 | 128 | #1,725 | #11,682 |
| 2014 | 139 | 139 | #1,567 | — |
| 2013 | 130 | 130 | #1,642 | — |
| 2012 | 159 | 159 | #1,442 | — |
| 2011 | 147 | 147 | #1,513 | — |
| 2010 | 168 | 168 | #1,426 | #10,427 |
| 2009 | 194 | 194 | #1,263 | — |
| 2008 | 195 | 195 | #1,278 | — |
| 2007 | 213 | 213 | #1,209 | #13,816 |
| 2006 | 165 | 165 | #1,433 | #10,336 |
| 2005 | 157 | 157 | #1,431 | #9,837 |
| 2004 | 156 | 156 | #1,356 | — |
| 2003 | 166 | 166 | #1,307 | #9,328 |
| 2002 | 149 | 149 | #1,349 | #11,923 |
| 2001 | 119 | 119 | #1,571 | — |
| 2000 | 113 | 113 | #1,575 | — |
| 1999 | 85 | 85 | #1,869 | — |
| 1998 | 79 | 79 | #1,935 | — |
| 1997 | 84 | — | #1,797 | — |
| 1996 | 104 | — | #1,538 | — |
| 1995 | 97 | — | #1,572 | — |
| 1994 | 107 | — | #1,483 | — |
| 1993 | 97 | — | #1,588 | — |
| 1992 | 126 | — | #1,335 | — |
| 1991 | 91 | — | #1,651 | — |
| 1990 | 103 | — | #1,508 | — |
| 1989 | 73 | — | #1,830 | — |
| 1988 | 92 | — | #1,486 | — |
| 1987 | 79 | — | #1,587 | — |
| 1986 | 69 | — | #1,708 | — |
| 1985 | 83 | — | #1,487 | — |
| 1984 | 69 | — | #1,612 | — |
| 1983 | 69 | — | #1,623 | — |
| 1982 | 85 | — | #1,433 | — |
| 1981 | 81 | — | #1,497 | — |
| 1980 | 70 | — | #1,654 | — |
| 1979 | 62 | — | #1,759 | — |
| 1978 | 85 | — | #1,383 | — |
| 1977 | 73 | — | #1,511 | — |
| 1976 | 78 | — | #1,379 | — |
| 1975 | 62 | — | #1,598 | — |
| 1974 | 77 | — | #1,361 | — |
| 1973 | 54 | — | #1,680 | — |
| 1972 | 47 | — | #1,822 | — |
| 1971 | 48 | — | #1,845 | — |
| 1970 | 48 | — | #1,852 | — |
| 1969 | 37 | — | #2,091 | — |
| 1968 | 44 | — | #1,801 | — |
| 1967 | 42 | — | #1,807 | — |
| 1966 | 38 | — | #1,872 | — |
| 1965 | 35 | — | #1,976 | — |
| 1964 | 44 | — | #1,769 | — |
| 1963 | 42 | — | #1,805 | — |
| 1962 | 45 | — | #1,699 | — |
| 1961 | 39 | — | #1,860 | — |
| 1960 | 62 | — | #1,399 | — |
| 1959 | 56 | — | #1,446 | — |
| 1958 | 46 | — | #1,583 | — |
| 1957 | 37 | — | #1,803 | — |
| 1956 | 55 | — | #1,429 | — |
| 1955 | 57 | — | #1,345 | — |
| 1954 | 35 | — | #1,759 | — |
| 1953 | 30 | — | #1,857 | — |
| 1952 | 28 | — | #1,922 | — |
| 1951 | 19 | — | #2,370 | — |
| 1950 | 21 | — | #2,167 | — |
| 1949 | 21 | — | #2,193 | — |
| 1948 | 17 | — | #2,468 | — |
| 1947 | 28 | — | #1,848 | — |
| 1946 | 7 | — | #4,297 | — |
| 1945 | 15 | — | #2,314 | — |
| 1944 | 9 | — | #3,308 | — |
| 1943 | 12 | — | #2,806 | — |
| 1942 | 20 | — | #1,958 | — |
| 1941 | 9 | — | #3,180 | — |
| 1940 | 22 | — | #1,731 | — |
| 1939 | 21 | — | #1,715 | — |
| 1938 | 9 | — | #3,115 | — |
| 1937 | 19 | — | #1,828 | — |
| 1936 | 9 | — | #3,032 | — |
| 1935 | 14 | — | #2,274 | — |
| 1934 | 17 | — | #1,975 | — |
| 1933 | 14 | — | #2,246 | — |
| 1932 | 13 | — | #2,458 | — |
| 1931 | 20 | — | #1,785 | — |
| 1930 | 26 | — | #1,560 | — |
| 1929 | 15 | — | #2,274 | — |
| 1928 | 24 | — | #1,721 | — |
| 1927 | 17 | — | #2,229 | — |
| 1926 | 28 | — | #1,579 | — |
| 1925 | 26 | — | #1,688 | — |
| 1924 | 19 | — | #2,114 | — |
| 1923 | 22 | — | #1,880 | — |
| 1922 | 18 | — | #2,168 | — |
| 1921 | 20 | — | #2,028 | — |
| 1920 | 21 | — | #1,934 | — |
| 1919 | 17 | — | #2,133 | — |
| 1918 | 20 | — | #1,941 | — |
| 1917 | 24 | — | #1,587 | — |
| 1916 | 10 | — | #2,969 | — |
| 1915 | 18 | — | #1,861 | — |
| 1914 | 13 | — | #1,982 | — |
| 1913 | 14 | — | #1,652 | — |
| 1912 | 7 | — | #2,560 | — |
| 1910 | 7 | — | #2,079 | — |
| 1909 | 7 | — | #1,906 | — |
| 1908 | 5 | — | #2,344 | — |
| 1907 | 7 | — | #1,764 | — |
| 1906 | 7 | — | #1,674 | — |
| 1905 | 5 | — | #2,148 | — |
| 1904 | 6 | — | #1,803 | — |
| 1903 | 8 | — | #1,408 | — |
| 1902 | 8 | — | #1,403 | — |
| 1901 | 9 | — | #1,203 | — |
| 1897 | 6 | — | #1,503 | — |
| 1895 | 6 | — | #1,543 | — |
| 1893 | 5 | — | #1,590 | — |
| 1892 | 5 | — | #1,599 | — |
| 1890 | 8 | — | #1,071 | — |
| 1888 | 9 | — | #940 | — |
| 1887 | 9 | — | #832 | — |
| 1886 | 5 | — | #1,231 | — |
| 1885 | 9 | — | #784 | — |
| 1883 | 8 | — | #739 | — |
| 1882 | 10 | — | #625 | — |