Nelson is a familiar boys' name that peaked in 1959 and has grown less common since.
Nelson is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #825 for boy births in the United States (and #1,693 across all names), given to 300 babies. Nelson first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1959 (1,084 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 300 | 300 | — | #825 |
| 2024 | 323 | 323 | — | #778 |
| 2023 | 317 | 317 | #14,670 | #798 |
| 2022 | 320 | 325 | #17,057 | #799 |
| 2021 | 358 | 366 | — | #722 |
| 2020 | 393 | 399 | #16,829 | #670 |
| 2019 | 412 | 417 | #17,301 | #654 |
| 2018 | 374 | 374 | — | #672 |
| 2017 | 411 | 425 | — | #632 |
| 2016 | 431 | 436 | — | #622 |
| 2015 | 426 | 441 | — | #627 |
| 2014 | 409 | 433 | — | #645 |
| 2013 | 442 | 461 | — | #581 |
| 2012 | 466 | 490 | — | #558 |
| 2011 | 457 | 483 | — | #556 |
| 2010 | 447 | 479 | — | #569 |
| 2009 | 520 | 561 | — | #520 |
| 2008 | 551 | 588 | — | #498 |
| 2007 | 584 | 623 | — | #467 |
| 2006 | 605 | 648 | — | #448 |
| 2005 | 595 | 652 | — | #441 |
| 2004 | 580 | 638 | #15,534 | #450 |
| 2003 | 612 | 683 | — | #422 |
| 2002 | 619 | 677 | — | #409 |
| 2001 | 615 | 695 | — | #407 |
| 2000 | 602 | 696 | — | #414 |
| 1999 | 610 | 726 | #16,136 | #402 |
| 1998 | 615 | 730 | — | #397 |
| 1997 | 619 | — | — | #387 |
| 1996 | 621 | — | — | #377 |
| 1995 | 687 | — | #12,879 | #356 |
| 1994 | 728 | — | #10,238 | #342 |
| 1993 | 767 | — | #12,938 | #333 |
| 1992 | 809 | — | #10,173 | #319 |
| 1991 | 810 | — | — | #318 |
| 1990 | 936 | — | #14,518 | #279 |
| 1989 | 864 | — | #9,377 | #287 |
| 1988 | 767 | — | #8,171 | #301 |
| 1987 | 717 | — | #12,631 | #302 |
| 1986 | 723 | — | #7,548 | #293 |
| 1985 | 706 | — | — | #290 |
| 1984 | 660 | — | #7,221 | #303 |
| 1983 | 630 | — | — | #312 |
| 1982 | 664 | — | #10,061 | #302 |
| 1981 | 646 | — | #9,973 | #302 |
| 1980 | 690 | — | #9,951 | #297 |
| 1979 | 676 | — | #9,803 | #297 |
| 1978 | 685 | — | #10,882 | #285 |
| 1977 | 681 | — | #5,770 | #292 |
| 1976 | 738 | — | #7,860 | #266 |
| 1975 | 695 | — | #10,083 | #277 |
| 1974 | 686 | — | #5,241 | #278 |
| 1973 | 587 | — | #7,186 | #303 |
| 1972 | 632 | — | #4,706 | #300 |
| 1971 | 783 | — | #6,415 | #273 |
| 1970 | 768 | — | #4,681 | #279 |
| 1969 | 769 | — | #8,289 | #270 |
| 1968 | 772 | — | #5,492 | #261 |
| 1967 | 796 | — | #5,872 | #255 |
| 1966 | 732 | — | #5,141 | #274 |
| 1965 | 820 | — | #7,220 | #259 |
| 1964 | 826 | — | — | #268 |
| 1963 | 982 | — | — | #246 |
| 1962 | 938 | — | #5,690 | #253 |
| 1961 | 951 | — | — | #254 |
| 1960 | 1,021 | — | #7,034 | #250 |
| 1959 | 1,084 | — | — | #244 |
| 1958 | 954 | — | #5,910 | #254 |
| 1957 | 949 | — | #5,235 | #250 |
| 1956 | 920 | — | #6,617 | #241 |
| 1955 | 914 | — | — | #235 |
| 1954 | 952 | — | #6,362 | #228 |
| 1953 | 1,012 | — | — | #214 |
| 1952 | 830 | — | — | #232 |
| 1951 | 802 | — | — | #240 |
| 1950 | 804 | — | — | #229 |
| 1949 | 787 | — | #5,808 | #232 |
| 1948 | 814 | — | — | #227 |
| 1947 | 814 | — | — | #224 |
| 1946 | 740 | — | — | #222 |
| 1945 | 696 | — | — | #206 |
| 1944 | 722 | — | #3,966 | #207 |
| 1943 | 800 | — | #4,552 | #203 |
| 1942 | 878 | — | #3,648 | #181 |
| 1941 | 796 | — | #4,881 | #186 |
| 1940 | 807 | — | — | #182 |
| 1939 | 801 | — | — | #178 |
| 1938 | 795 | — | — | #182 |
| 1937 | 661 | — | — | #194 |
| 1936 | 644 | — | #2,357 | #195 |
| 1935 | 584 | — | #4,094 | #209 |
| 1934 | 576 | — | #3,707 | #214 |
| 1933 | 578 | — | #4,095 | #205 |
| 1932 | 635 | — | #4,285 | #204 |
| 1931 | 613 | — | #4,209 | #209 |
| 1930 | 637 | — | #3,942 | #209 |
| 1929 | 596 | — | #4,438 | #215 |
| 1928 | 681 | — | — | #201 |
| 1927 | 686 | — | #2,659 | #206 |
| 1926 | 690 | — | #5,403 | #202 |
| 1925 | 738 | — | — | #186 |
| 1924 | 762 | — | #3,592 | #188 |
| 1923 | 704 | — | — | #195 |
| 1922 | 666 | — | #4,321 | #201 |
| 1921 | 712 | — | #3,925 | #194 |
| 1920 | 745 | — | #5,546 | #187 |
| 1919 | 682 | — | — | #187 |
| 1918 | 670 | — | #4,667 | #190 |
| 1917 | 610 | — | #5,104 | #194 |
| 1916 | 619 | — | — | #188 |
| 1915 | 611 | — | #4,773 | #184 |
| 1914 | 527 | — | — | #171 |
| 1913 | 362 | — | #3,557 | #188 |
| 1912 | 349 | — | — | #166 |
| 1911 | 180 | — | — | #175 |
| 1910 | 142 | — | — | #189 |
| 1909 | 113 | — | — | #194 |
| 1908 | 112 | — | — | #189 |
| 1907 | 129 | — | — | #168 |
| 1906 | 100 | — | — | #182 |
| 1905 | 126 | — | — | #160 |
| 1904 | 81 | — | — | #204 |
| 1903 | 93 | — | — | #179 |
| 1902 | 78 | — | — | #202 |
| 1901 | 97 | — | — | #159 |
| 1900 | 135 | — | — | #154 |
| 1899 | 107 | — | — | #147 |
| 1898 | 112 | — | — | #153 |
| 1897 | 104 | — | — | #150 |
| 1896 | 86 | — | — | #191 |
| 1895 | 108 | — | — | #143 |
| 1894 | 76 | — | — | #196 |
| 1893 | 72 | — | — | #200 |
| 1892 | 98 | — | — | #161 |
| 1891 | 86 | — | — | #155 |
| 1890 | 71 | — | — | #191 |
| 1889 | 80 | — | — | #170 |
| 1888 | 85 | — | — | #175 |
| 1887 | 62 | — | — | #195 |
| 1886 | 78 | — | — | #176 |
| 1885 | 83 | — | — | #160 |
| 1884 | 89 | — | — | #154 |
| 1883 | 79 | — | — | #161 |
| 1882 | 104 | — | — | #136 |
| 1881 | 90 | — | — | #138 |
| 1880 | 99 | — | — | #138 |