Nell

Did you know?

A few things about Nell you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Nell

Nell Gwyn

Royal mistress (1650-1687)

Choose Nell and your child shares a first name with Nell Gwyn, a Royal mistress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Nell, like who?” Nell Gwyn's Wikipedia article is available in 35 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Nell Gwyn on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Simon Pietersz Verelst, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 12,563 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Nell, 128 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Nell would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryNell has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Nells, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1886, when it ranked #144. Today it's #1,622, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowNell is 5.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 64,935 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 12,563.
• 🚀TrendNell has climbed 635 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,622. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedNell is most popular in Massachusetts, where it ranks #682, followed by Colorado (#703) and Illinois (#797). It's in the top 1,000 in 6 states.

About the name Nell

Nell is a girl name of English, French and Irish origin. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with N and ending in “-ell”. US birth records list Nell for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked #144 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,622, with 128 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesIrish names