Nell: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “bright, shining one”
- Origin
- English
- Say it
- NEL · 1 syllable
- Used for
- Girls
Traditionally a short form of Eleanor, Ellen, Helen, or Penelope depending on family usage. In many cases it ultimately reflects Helen, from Greek roots associated with light.
How popular is Nell?
Babies named Nell in 2024150
2024 rank#1,455 girls
Peak year1890
Total US babies since 188027,581
Nell is rising: use over the last five years is 3.5× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Nell
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Nell questions
What does the name Nell mean?
Nell means "bright, shining one". It comes from English. Traditionally a short form of Eleanor, Ellen, Helen, or Penelope depending on family usage. In many cases it ultimately reflects Helen, from Greek roots associated with light.
Is Nell a boy or girl name?
Nell is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Nell?
150 US babies were named Nell in 2024. Its peak year was 1890.
How do you pronounce Nell?
Nell is usually pronounced NEL.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.