A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Nels since 1880
Babies named Nels per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Nels's real moment was 1893.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 210 |
| 1890s | 192 |
| 1900s | 111 |
| 1910s | 402 |
| 1920s | 398 |
| 1930s | 317 |
| 1940s | 349 |
| 1950s | 454 |
| 1960s | 343 |
| 1970s | 276 |
| 1980s | 264 |
| 1990s | 152 |
| 2000s | 119 |
| 2010s | 137 |
| 2020s | 117 |
Meaning & origin
Nels reached its peak popularity in 1893, ranking 4,539 that year, but then declined. However, since 2007 it has been on a trajectory upward, appearing more frequently on birth certificates. As of 2025, it still holds at rank 4,539, with a 1-in-77,640 yearly occurrence. The name has not been strongly associated with any single U.S. state, reflecting its scattered but steady use across the country.
Nels is a Scandinavian patronymic surname turned given name, derived from the Old Norse name Njáll, which itself is a form of Neil. It means "son of Nel" or "champion." Historically used as a surname in Denmark and Norway before being adopted as a first name in the United States among Scandinavian immigrants.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Nel, Nelly
Sibling names for Nels
Names that share Nels's style, for a brother or sister.
