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Girl name

Nelly

Nelly holds the #1291 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular girl names in the U.S. That amounts to 173 newborn girls in a single year. The name is on the way up, moving from #2023 in 2020 to #1291 today. Its strongest year on record was 1882 (#596 nationally, 10 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1882. The name's biggest fan base is in Wisconsin (#700 there in 2025).

Rankings

2025 rank
#1291
among girl names
Trend
Rising
last 5 years
All-time peak
#596
in 1882 (1880s)
Babies in 2025
173
girls named Nelly

Nelly popularity, 1880–2025

0.003%0.006%0.009%0.012%18801900192019401960198020002020#596 in 1882
Girls — share of U.S. female birthsSource: SSA, 1880–2025◆ peak 1882

Where Nelly is most popular

Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025AK—Maine: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025ME—Vermont: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025VT—New Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025NH—Washington: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025WA—Idaho: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025ID—Montana: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MT—North Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025ND—Minnesota: #835 (5 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)MN#835Wisconsin: #700 (6 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)WI#700Michigan: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MI—New York: #1235 (11 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)NY#1235Massachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MA—Rhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025RI—Oregon: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025OR—Nevada: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025NV—Wyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025WY—South Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025SD—Iowa: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025IA—Illinois: #1240 (6 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)IL#1240Indiana: #1032 (5 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)IN#1032Ohio: #1271 (6 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)OH#1271Pennsylvania: #1392 (5 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)PA#1392New Jersey: #1168 (5 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)NJ#1168Connecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025CT—California: #1111 (23 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)CA#1111Utah: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025UT—Colorado: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025CO—Nebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025NE—Missouri: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MO—Kentucky: #744 (5 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)KY#744West Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025WV—Virginia: #1180 (5 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)VA#1180Maryland: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MD—Delaware: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025DE—Arizona: #909 (6 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)AZ#909New Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025NM—Kansas: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025KS—Arkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025AR—Tennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025TN—North Carolina: #973 (9 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)NC#973South Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025SC—District of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025DC—Oklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025OK—Louisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025LA—Mississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025MS—Alabama: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025AL—Georgia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025GA—Hawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Nelly in 2025HI—Texas: #1460 (16 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)TX#1460Florida: #1545 (8 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)FL#1545
Share of girls born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Wisconsin (#700), Kentucky (#744), Minnesota (#835)

Uniqueness score

56/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind

Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Nelly in the most recent year of SSA data.

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