Nayelli
An indigenous feminine name of Nahuatl origin symbolizing "truth" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 1,421 living Americans carry the first name Nayelli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nayelli today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nayelli births was 2001 (115 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nayelli. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Nayelli is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 18 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 241,206 Americans
Peak year
2001
115 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,525
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Nayelli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nayelli from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 613 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Nayelli remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nayelli by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nayelli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nayellis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Nayelli, while New Jersey, Georgia, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 95 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nayelli
The name Nayelli is of Nahuatl origin, a language spoken by the Aztec people of Mexico. The Nahuatl language has its roots dating back to the 7th century and was widely spoken in central Mexico during the time of the Aztec Empire.
Nayelli is derived from the Nahuatl word "nelli," meaning "truth" or "true." It is a compound name, with the prefix "na" suggesting a connection to the Nahuatl language and culture. The name may have been given to children as a symbol of honesty and truthfulness, reflecting the values held by the Aztec civilization.
While there are no specific historical references to the name Nayelli in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Nahuatl roots suggest that it was likely in use among the Aztec people during the pre-Columbian era in Mexico.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nayelli dates back to the late 16th century. In 1592, a woman named Nayelli was born in the city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, now known as Mexico City.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nayelli. Nayelli Flores (1949-2005) was a Mexican actress and singer, known for her work in telenovelas and films. Nayelli Rangel (born 1979) is a Mexican television host and writer, who has hosted several popular shows.
Nayelli Armas (born 1989) is a Mexican beauty queen and model who won the Miss Universe Mexico pageant in 2013. Nayelli Guadalupe Reyes Batres (born 1987) is a Guatemalan track and field athlete who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nayelli Vidal (born 1979) is a Mexican painter and artist, known for her vibrant and colorful works depicting Mexican culture and traditions.
People
Nayelli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nayelli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nayelli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nayelli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,421 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nayelli going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 241,206 US residents.
Is Nayelli a common name?
We classify Nayelli as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,441 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nayelli most popular?
The single biggest year for Nayelli was 2001, when 115 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nayelli is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nayelli a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nayelli in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.