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“Variant of Eleanor — The other Aenor (from Latin alia); root sense riches and fame” — Old Provencal/Latin, ultimately Germanic; Arabic light also suggested origin
Girl's name · #533 in the US (2025) · Comeback
Nellie was #14 in 1881, slipped to #2300 by 2000, and has climbed back to #533 today. About 153,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Its center of gravity has moved: strongest in the South in the 1940s and 1950s, strongest in the Midwest today. Together with its spelling variant Nelly (#1294), Nellie would rank around #423 with about 740 births last year — the newborns split about 77/23 between Nellie and Nelly.
Around the world: #95 in Sweden (2025).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 40 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Among 265 notable people named Nellie:
No single standout — notable Nellies spread across many fields.
Similar names: Nelly · Della · Nella · Lillie · Estella · Allie
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