Find out how popular the first name Nellie has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Nellie by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Nellie is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 485 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Nellie.

The history of the first name Nellie

The name Nellie is an English diminutive of the name Eleanor, which itself derives from the Occitan name Alia(u)nor. This name's roots can be traced back to the Provençal phrase "alia anor," meaning "the other Aenor." Aenor is derived from the Germanic name Aenor, comprising the elements "ađal" (noble) and "rik" (ruler).

Nellie emerged as a common diminutive form of Eleanor in the 19th century, particularly in the United States and Britain. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Nellie was Nellie Melba, an Australian operatic soprano born in 1861. Her real name was Helen Porter Mitchell, but she took the stage name Nellie Melba, combining her nickname and her hometown of Melbourne.

Another notable Nellie was Nellie Bly, the pioneering American journalist born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in 1864. She was best known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, inspired by Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Bly's daring exploits and her investigative reporting work helped establish her as one of the leading female journalists of her time.

In the realm of literature, Nellie is the name of one of the main characters in Charles Dickens' novel The Haunted House, published in 1859. The character Nellie is a young woman who tells the story of the haunted house to her friends.

In the world of sports, Nellie Fox was an American baseball player who played for the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born Jacob Nelson Fox in 1927 and was nicknamed "Nellie" due to his diminutive stature. Fox was an outstanding second baseman and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Another notable Nellie was Nellie Tayloe Ross, an American politician who served as the 14th governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927. Born in 1876, she was the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state and paved the way for future women in politics.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Nellie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nellie, please contact us.

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