unisex name
Nel
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 1,326
Ireland
#629
2025 births
Nel is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 79% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 6 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2017, when 49 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 13,511 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1999.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nel over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 3 |
| 2000s | 130 |
| 2010s | 388 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 241 |
How popular is Nel?
In 2025, Nel was given to 39 babies in England and Wales, ranking #901 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Nel is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Nel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Nel in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Nel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nel
How popular is the name Nel?
In 2025, Nel was given to 39 babies in England and Wales, ranking #901 that year. It is a rare choice.
Is Nel a girl's or a boy's name?
Nel is used for both girls and boys. About 79% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Nel?
Nel has 1 syllable.
When was Nel most popular?
Nel peaked in 2017, when 49 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Nel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nel currently ranks #629 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.