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Girl · English short form
Nelle Say it: NEL
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Meaning A variant of Nell, a short form of Helen, Eleanor or Ellen; Helen's origin is unknown.
Uncertain several explanations, none settled.
Used in the American South around 1880 to 1920.
Its wave through time Fading since the 1890s
In the United States 0 50 100 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Peak 1885 per 100,000 babies of that sex 5,645 babies given this name since 1880 At its height in 1890, about 1 in 1,300 girls 37 babies in 2020 The family of the name Other spellings: Nell, Nellie
Famous bearers Nelle Harper Lee, American novelist Names worth a look Lida Girl A pet form of Ludmila (Slavic lyud 'people' and mil 'dear') or a variant of Lydia (Greek, 'woman of Lydia'). Victorian · peak 1882 · forgotten Lavinia Girl Name of the legendary wife of Aeneas, linked to the town Lavinium; its origin is unknown. Rome · peak 1886 Meta Girl A German, Dutch and Scandinavian pet form of Margaret, from Greek margarites 'pearl'. Victorian · peak 1890 · forgotten Mittie Girl A 19th-century American pet name, used for Martha (Aramaic 'lady') and other names; the connection is not consistent. Victorian · peak 1883 · forgotten Alaia Girl From Basque, related to alai 'cheerful, joyful'. Modern · peak 2020 Kehlani Girl Popularised by the American singer Kehlani. The ending resembles Hawaiian lani 'sky, heaven', but the name is not a… Modern · peak 2020 Nellie Girl A pet form of Helen, Eleanor or Ellen. Helen, from Greek Helene, whose origin is unknown; the popular link to Greek… Victorian · peak 1889 Nolan Boy From the Irish surname Ó Nualláin 'descendant of Nuallán', a personal name possibly from nuall 'shout, noble'; the… Modern · peak 2018 Where this comes from United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries 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.