Baby Name Popularity Profile

Nelson

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Nelson.

✦ Son of Neil 🌍 English traditional
National Rank (2025) #825
All-Time Peak Rank #136 Achieved 1882
Total U.S. Births 79,709 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.8% Boy / 0.2% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 1,084 births in 1959
πŸ’‘ The Nelson Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Son of Neil
Language Origin English
Origin Type single
Derived from the English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Neil'. The given name Neil is of Irish/Gaelic origin, meaning 'champion' or 'cloud'.
Common Nicknames
Nels
Pronunciation: NEL-sΙ™n
Themes & Categories
traditional
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Nelson

According to SSA data, Nelson achieved its highest historical rank of #136 in 1882. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1959 with 1,084 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 29.6%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Nelson across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -29.6% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 1,084 births in 1959
Years in Top 100 0 yrs
Years in Top 500 129 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 849
1890s: 920
1900s: 1,064
1910s: 4,731
1920s: 6,927
1930s: 6,473
1940s: 7,823
1950s: 9,198
1960s: 8,562
1970s: 6,847
1980s: 7,009
1990s: 7,164
2000s: 5,877
2010s: 4,270
2020s: 1,995

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Nel-son
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with N, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Nelson.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Hawaii
Top States Hawaii, New York, Virginia, Maine, Louisiana
States with Data 47
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Hawaii Unranked 700 1953 Insufficient historical volume
New York #522 12,427 1959 Stable
Virginia #655 3,056 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 577 1931 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #742 2,290 1946 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #810 3,325 1977 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #464 1,763 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 192 1944 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 1,164 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts Unranked 2,493 1976 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #744 3,238 2006 27.6% Decline
North Carolina #1109 2,537 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #830 4,539 1948 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 368 2006 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 424 1946 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 712 1939 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 945 1924 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #917 3,346 1938 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #539 1,034 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #666 1,262 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #756 813 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 239 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #832 1,773 1963 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 194 1938 Insufficient historical volume
California #750 6,035 1990 22.2% Decline
Kentucky Unranked 1,043 1934 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan Unranked 2,221 1920 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #1033 4,247 2003 47.7% Decline
Tennessee #1143 1,179 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #1042 1,274 1915 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #1105 2,570 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri Unranked 1,131 1921 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 484 1942 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 568 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 344 1919 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 63 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 220 1993 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #1103 395 1990 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado Unranked 240 2006 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 64 1998 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 231 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #852 341 2022 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 17 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 185 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 66 1993 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 37 2016 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 5 1990 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Douglas Roger Stanley Frankie Keith Lee Ray Rex Joseph Thomas
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
Laurel Kathryn Julie Deborah Leslie Roslyn Brenda Yvonne Debora Janice

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