Nelson Boy
How popular is Nelson?
#824 boy name in 2025
300 baby boys were named Nelson in the US in 2025, making it the 824th most popular boy name.
50,460living people named Nelson (est.)
46median age of people named Nelson
80,140babies named Nelson since 1880
1 in 11,051US babies born in 2025
Nelson popularity over time
Boys Girls
| Rank in 2025 | #824 for boys (▼ 47 from 2024) |
|---|---|
| Babies in 2025 | 300 boys |
| 10-year trend | Falling (-30% babies vs 2015) |
| Earlier ranks | #626 in 2015, #670 in 2020 |
| Peak year | 1959 (1,084 boys) |
| Highest rank | #134 in 1882 |
| First recorded | 1880 |
| Boys vs girls (last 10 years) | 99% boys, 1% girls |
| Chance a classmate shares it | 0.2% in a class of 25 kids born in 2025 |
Where Nelson is most popular
Babies named Nelson per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021 to 2025. Darker means more common.
Nelson by decade
| Decade | Baby boys | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 849 | #134 |
| 1890s | 920 | #142 |
| 1900s | 1,064 | #154 |
| 1910s | 4,731 | #166 |
| 1920s | 6,927 | #186 |
| 1930s | 6,473 | #178 |
| 1940s | 7,823 | #181 |
| 1950s | 9,198 | #214 |
| 1960s | 8,562 | #246 |
| 1970s | 6,847 | #266 |
| 1980s | 7,009 | #287 |
| 1990s | 7,164 | #279 |
| 2000s | 5,877 | #407 |
| 2010s | 4,270 | #556 |
| 2020s | 1,995 | #670 |
Boy names about as popular as Nelson
Questions
- Is Nelson a boy or girl name?
- Nelson is mostly a boy name. Over the last 10 years, 99% of babies named Nelson were boys.
- How popular is the name Nelson?
- 300 baby boys were named Nelson in the US in 2025, making it the 824th most popular boy name.
- When was Nelson most popular?
- Nelson peaked in 1959, when 1,084 boys were given the name. Its highest rank was #134 in 1882.
- How many people are named Nelson?
- 80,140 babies have been named Nelson in the US since 1880. We estimate about 50,460 of them are alive in 2026, with a median age of 46.
- Where is Nelson most popular?
- From 2021 to 2025, Nelson was most common in Maryland, at 0.6 of every 1,000 boys born there.
Source: Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880 to 2025 (names given to at least 5 babies of a sex in a year). Living-people and median-age figures are our estimates using US life tables. How we calculate.