Neshelle
A feminine name derived from Spanish origins, meaning "close to the ocean".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Neshelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neshelle today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neshelle births was 1969 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neshelle. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Neshelle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1969
5 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1970 SSA rank
#8,900
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Neshelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neshelle from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neshelle 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 Neshelle 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 Neshelle
The name Neshelle is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages in the world. It is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "ne" meaning "lady" and "shel" meaning "bright" or "shining." This suggests that the name Neshelle may have initially been used to refer to a woman of noble or radiant character.
In the region of ancient Mesopotamia, where Sumerian civilization thrived between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, the name Neshelle or variations of it may have been in use. However, there are no definitive records or texts from that era that clearly document the name's usage.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Neshelle dates back to the 12th century AD, when it appeared in a Syriac manuscript as "Neshelli." Syriac was a dialect of Aramaic, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during that time period. This suggests that the name may have been adopted and adapted by various cultures and languages over the centuries.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Neshelle or variations of it. One such person was Neshelle ibn Abi al-Khair, a 13th-century Arab philosopher and scholar from Damascus, who wrote extensively on logic and metaphysics.
Another notable figure was Neshelle al-Dimashqi, a 14th-century Syrian poet and writer, known for her contributions to Arabic literature during the Mamluk era.
In the 16th century, there was a French noblewoman named Neshelle de Montmorency, who was part of the influential Montmorency family and played a role in the French Wars of Religion.
In more recent times, Neshelle Arrington was an American jazz singer and actress who performed in the mid-20th century, known for her work in musical theater and on Broadway.
Additionally, Neshelle Fowler was a Canadian artist and painter, born in the late 19th century, who gained recognition for her landscape and portrait works during the early 20th century.
While the name Neshelle may have evolved and been adapted over time, its ancient Sumerian roots and potential connection to concepts of nobility and radiance have persisted throughout its long history.
People
Neshelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neshelle 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
Neshelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neshelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neshelle 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Neshelle a common name?
We classify Neshelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neshelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Neshelle was 1969, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neshelle is about 55 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 Neshelle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neshelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neshelle 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 Neshelle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neshelle 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 Neshelle 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 are named Neshelle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.