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Girl · English pet form of Greek and Old French names
Nellie
Say it: NEL-ee
Meaning
A pet 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.
Very common in the United States in the late 1800s, then faded through the 20th century.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1880s
In the United States
- 150,804 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1889, about 1 in 102 girls
- 324 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Nelly, Nell, Nelle
Famous bearers
- Nellie Bly, American investigative journalist
- Nellie Melba, Australian soprano
Names worth a look
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.