Nellie
Say it: NEL-ee
GirlMeans a pet form of Ellen, Eleanor or Helen6 letters2 syllables
#304
in Ireland (2025)
#308 with spellings combined
13
babies in 2025
#235
best rank (2024)
100
babies since 1964
Nellie through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #308 |
| 2024 | 18 | #235 |
| 2023 | 11 | #335 |
| 2022 | 15 | #288 |
| 2021 | 8 | #460 |
| 2020 | 12 | #335 |
| 2017 | 4 | #736 |
| 2016 | 3 | #866 |
| 2012 | 3 | #908 |
| 2010 | 3 | #909 |
| 2009 | 3 | #890 |
| 2007 | 3 | #841 |
| 1964 | 4 | #327 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Nellie mean?
A pet form of Ellen, Eleanor or Helen
English, a pet form of Ellen, Eleanor and Helen, with the small ending -ie.
Say it right
NELee
The story of Nellie
Nellie is a pet form of Ellen, Eleanor and Helen, made by adding the small ending -ie to Nell. It was popular as a full name around the start of the 20th century, when many pet forms were given in their own right.
The Australian soprano Nellie Melba, who took her stage name from her home city of Melbourne, was one of the most famous singers of that era.
Nellie was rare in Ireland for most of the records, with only a handful of babies in any year. It returned in the 2020s alongside names like Elsie and Millie. Its best year so far was 2024, with 18 girls in 2024 and a place at number 232. In Northern Ireland it reached number 205 in 2025.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Nellie (English proper noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Nell
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Nellie | 13 | 100 |
In Northern Ireland
#205 in 2025 with 8 babies. Best rank #205 (2025); 43 babies since 2016.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.