Nell

Girl · English short form

Nell

Say it: NEL

Meaning

A short form of Helen, Eleanor or Ellen. Helen, from Greek Helene, whose origin is unknown; the popular link to Greek helios 'sun' is not established.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Used in England since at least the 1600s and popular again in Britain today.

Its wave through time

Fading since the 1890s

In the United States

27,092 babies given this name since 1880
At its height in 1890, about 1 in 861 girls
79 babies in 2020

Through the ages

Used by

American English

The family of the name

Other spellings: Nelle, Nellie

Famous bearers

Nell Gwyn, English actress and mistress of Charles II

Names worth a look

CierraGirlA respelling of Sierra, from Spanish sierra 'mountain range'.Modern · peak 1997

TianaGirlA modern name, probably a short form of Christiana or Tatiana.Modern · peak 1995

NorahGirlA spelling of Nora, a short form of Honora (Latin honor 'honour') and sometimes of Eleanor.Victorian · peak 2017

ImogeneGirlA spelling of Imogen, the heroine of Shakespeare's Cymbeline; the name is probably a misprint of Innogen, a…Victorian · peak 1927 · forgotten

GretaGirlA short form of Margareta, from Greek margarites 'pearl'.Victorian · peak 1932

ElainaGirlA modern spelling of Elena or Elaine, forms of Helen, from Greek Helene, whose meaning is uncertain.Modern · peak 2020

NellieGirlA pet form of Helen, Eleanor or Ellen. Helen, from Greek Helene, whose origin is unknown; the popular link to Greek…Victorian · peak 1889

NolanBoyFrom the Irish surname Ó Nualláin 'descendant of Nuallán', a personal name possibly from nuall 'shout, noble'; the…Modern · peak 2018

Where this comes from

Well-known works of literature
Parish baptism registers
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.