girl's name
Nelda
- Origin Latvian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 20,160
Nelda is a girl's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Nelda is a name of Latvian origin.
- Peaked in 1938, when 567 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1930s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 331,565 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1884.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nelda over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 28 |
| 1890s | 74 |
| 1900s | 235 |
| 1910s | 1,130 |
| 1920s | 3,170 |
| 1930s | 4,936 |
| 1940s | 4,870 |
| 1950s | 3,211 |
| 1960s | 1,488 |
| 1970s | 536 |
| 1980s | 254 |
| 1990s | 99 |
| 2000s | 57 |
| 2010s | 28 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 28 |
How popular is Nelda?
In 2025, Nelda was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Nelda is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Nelda
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nelda also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nelda over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Nelda
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nelda — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nelda
How popular is the name Nelda?
In 2025, Nelda was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Nelda a girl's or a boy's name?
Nelda is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nelda?
Nelda has 2 syllables.
When was Nelda most popular?
Nelda peaked in 1938, when 567 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1930s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Nelda a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nelda currently ranks #10,050 in the United States. After peaking in the 1930s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.