Nelson

“Son of Neil” — English, also Anglicized Scandinavian origin

Boy's name · #824 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Nelson has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #134 (1882) · 79,709 babies named Nelson all-time · 1 in 5,600 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 2,600 boys in Belgium (2025) · about 1 in 5,000 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 5,000 boys in France (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 26 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Nelsons

Nelson Mandela — President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist (1918–2013)
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller — Vice President of the United States from 1974 to 1977
Nelson Piquet — Brazilian racing driver (born 1952)
Nelson Piquet Jr. — Brazilian racing driver (born 1985)
Nelson Valdez — Paraguayan footballer

Among 1,244 notable people named Nelson:

Athletes appear 1.49× more often than among typical names — e.g. Nelson Piquet, Brazilian racing driver (born 1952).

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