Declining since 2019, #8,362 for girls today.
Popularity of Nela since 1903
Babies named Nela per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2019, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Nela's real moment was 1906.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 16 |
| 1910s | 49 |
| 1920s | 59 |
| 1930s | 19 |
| 1940s | 27 |
| 1950s | 26 |
| 1960s | 12 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 103 |
| 2010s | 172 |
| 2020s | 104 |
Meaning & origin
Nela is a rare feminine name that has maintained a low but steady presence in the United States since the early 1900s, first recorded in 1903. It reached its peak rank (8,362) in 1906, but has since seen a decline. In the most recent data from 2025, it ranked 8,362 with a frequency of about 1 in 133,939 births. The name's trajectory has been falling since 2019, indicating further decline in usage. Nela is not associated with any particular region in the U.S., as its highest usage states are not recorded. Despite its obscurity, Nela remains a simple, melodic choice for parents seeking a distinctive name.
Nela is most likely a diminutive or shortened form of longer names such as Cornelia, Petronella, or Antonella, which have Latin roots. It may also be a variant of the Irish name Nuala. As an independent given name, it has been in sporadic use in the United States since the early 1900s, with very low but consistent usage.
“Nela” around the world
Where Nela lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Ireland
5
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Sibling names for Nela
Names that share Nela's style, for a brother or sister.
