Nellye
A feminine variation of the name Nelly, derived from Helen of Greek origin meaning "bright one" or "shining light".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Nellye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nellye today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nellye births was 1921 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nellye. 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
- • The typical person named Nellye is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nellyes were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nellye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
10 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1940 SSA rank
#4,850
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Nellye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nellye from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 28 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nellye 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 Nellye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nellye
The name Nellye is believed to have originated from the Germanic language family, specifically the Old English and Old Norse languages. It is a feminine form derived from the Old English name Nell or Nellie, which in turn comes from the Old Norse name Nelina.
The root of the name is thought to be the Germanic word "neh," meaning "near" or "close." This suggests that the name Nellye may have been used to describe someone who lived nearby or was a close neighbor. It could also have been used as a term of endearment, referring to someone who was close or dear.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nellye can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Nellie," suggesting that the variant spelling "Nellye" emerged later.
In the 12th century, a noblewoman named Nellye de Beaumont was mentioned in the historical records of Normandy, France. She was the daughter of a prominent Norman nobleman and is believed to have lived between 1150 and 1220.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Nellye Gwynn (1650-1687) was a celebrated actress and mistress of King Charles II of England. She was known for her wit, charm, and influence at the royal court.
In the 18th century, Nellye Custis (1779-1852) was the step-granddaughter of George Washington and the daughter of John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert Custis. She was an important figure in the early history of the United States and played a role in preserving Mount Vernon, the historic home of George Washington.
Another notable bearer of the name was Nellye Bly (1864-1922), an American pioneer in the field of investigative journalism. She gained fame for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, inspired by the Jules Verne novel "Around the World in Eighty Days." Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochran, but she adopted the pen name Nellye Bly.
People
Nellye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nellye 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
Nellye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nellye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nellye 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Nellye a common name?
We classify Nellye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 59 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nellye most popular?
The single biggest year for Nellye was 1921, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nellye is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nellye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nellye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nellye 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.
Is Nellye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nellye in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nellye can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Nellye as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Nellye, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.