Boy name
Nelson
Nelson is currently the #824 boy name in the United States, based on 2025 Social Security data. In raw numbers: 300 babies. It has drifted down the charts over the past five years, from #670 to #824. Looking at the full record since 1880, Nelson hit its all-time high of #134 in 1882, when 104 boys were given the name. State by state, Maryland leads the way at #437.
Rankings
2025 rank
#824
among boy names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#134
in 1882 (1880s)
Babies in 2025
300
boys named Nelson
Nelson popularity, 1880–2025
Where Nelson is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Maryland (#437), South Carolina (#501), New York (#513)
Uniqueness score
50/ 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 Nelson in the most recent year of SSA data.