boy's name
Nels
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 3,851
Nels is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 22 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1918, when 65 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 150,716 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nels 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 | 210 |
| 1890s | 192 |
| 1900s | 111 |
| 1910s | 402 |
| 1920s | 398 |
| 1930s | 317 |
| 1940s | 349 |
| 1950s | 454 |
| 1960s | 343 |
| 1970s | 276 |
| 1980s | 264 |
| 1990s | 152 |
| 2000s | 119 |
| 2010s | 137 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 117 |
How popular is Nels?
In 2025, Nels was given to 22 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Nels 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 Nels
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nels also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nels over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Nels
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nels — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nels
How popular is the name Nels?
In 2025, Nels was given to 22 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Nels a girl's or a boy's name?
Nels is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nels?
Nels has 1 syllable.
When was Nels most popular?
Nels peaked in 1918, when 65 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Nels a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nels currently ranks #4,594 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s 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.