Girl
Nellie
The name Nellie carries the meaning "Greek helene, light or torch", with roots in Greek. It was at its most popular in the 1910s and is rarely chosen now. As things stand now, it is a solidly familiar choice. The name's best year yet was 1918.
EtymologyDiminutive of Ellen/Helen
GreekGreek "helene" – "light" or "torch"
Births by decade
1900s
16,394
1910s
30,968
1920s
29,817
1930s
17,833
1940s
10,243
1950s
5,358
1960s
2,409
1970s
1,479
1980s
1,112
1990s
837
2000s
969
2010s
1,304
Peaked in the 1910s · 118,723 total U.S. births since 1900