Nelson

Nelson: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “son of Neil”
Origin: English
Say it: NEL-sən · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Nelson originated as an English surname meaning 'son of Neil' or 'son of Nell.' As a given name, it often reflects surname use.

English names Surname-style names Classic names

How popular is Nelson?

202497.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Nelson in 2024322

2024 rank#778 boys

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 188079,829

Nelson has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Nelson

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English
Cartercart driver · English
Wyattbrave in war · English
Maverickindependent person · English
Masonstoneworker · English
Graysonson of the steward · English

Nelson questions

What does the name Nelson mean?

Nelson means "son of Neil". It comes from English. Nelson originated as an English surname meaning 'son of Neil' or 'son of Nell.' As a given name, it often reflects surname use.

Is Nelson a boy or girl name?

Nelson is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Nelson?

322 US babies were named Nelson in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce Nelson?

Nelson is usually pronounced NEL-sən.

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.