Is Nelson a boy or girl name?
Nelson is a boy name in the US. In 2024, 0 girls and 322 boys were named Nelson, so 0% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 0.5% of the 79,829 US babies named Nelson were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #778
- Girl rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Babies named Nelson since 1880
- 79,829
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 1,083 babies
Boys and girls named Nelson, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 849 | 0 | 0% |
| 1890s | 920 | 0 | 0% |
| 1900s | 1,064 | 0 | 0% |
| 1910s | 4,731 | 21 | 0.4% |
| 1920s | 6,927 | 53 | 0.8% |
| 1930s | 6,473 | 51 | 0.8% |
| 1940s | 7,823 | 31 | 0.4% |
| 1950s | 9,199 | 23 | 0.2% |
| 1960s | 8,561 | 45 | 0.5% |
| 1970s | 6,846 | 84 | 1.2% |
| 1980s | 7,008 | 58 | 0.8% |
| 1990s | 7,163 | 38 | 0.5% |
| 2000s | 5,873 | 6 | 0.1% |
| 2010s | 4,267 | 5 | 0.1% |
| 2020s | 1,694 | 16 | 0.9% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 322 | #778 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 311 | #797 | 6 | #14,653 |
| 2022 | 315 | #799 | 5 | #17,045 |
| 2021 | 358 | #722 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 388 | #670 | 5 | #16,818 |
| 2019 | 406 | #655 | 5 | #17,290 |
| 2018 | 374 | #672 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 411 | #631 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 431 | #621 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 426 | #627 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 409 | #645 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 442 | #581 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 465 | #559 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 456 | #557 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 447 | #569 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 519 | #523 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 551 | #498 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 584 | #467 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 605 | #448 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 594 | #441 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 572 | #453 | 6 | #15,532 |
| 2003 | 612 | #422 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 619 | #409 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 615 | #407 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 602 | #414 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 605 | #402 | 5 | #16,136 |
| 1998 | 614 | #397 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 619 | #387 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 621 | #377 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 681 | #356 | 6 | #12,879 |
| 1994 | 720 | #342 | 8 | #10,238 |
| 1993 | 761 | #333 | 6 | #12,938 |
| 1992 | 801 | #319 | 8 | #10,172 |
| 1991 | 810 | #318 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 931 | #279 | 5 | #14,518 |
| 1989 | 856 | #287 | 8 | #9,377 |
| 1988 | 758 | #301 | 9 | #8,171 |
| 1987 | 711 | #303 | 5 | #12,631 |
| 1986 | 714 | #293 | 9 | #7,548 |
| 1985 | 706 | #290 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 651 | #303 | 9 | #7,220 |
| 1983 | 630 | #312 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 658 | #302 | 6 | #10,062 |
| 1981 | 640 | #302 | 6 | #9,973 |
| 1980 | 684 | #297 | 6 | #9,952 |
| 1979 | 670 | #297 | 6 | #9,802 |
| 1978 | 680 | #285 | 5 | #10,882 |
| 1977 | 670 | #292 | 11 | #5,770 |
| 1976 | 731 | #266 | 7 | #7,861 |
| 1975 | 690 | #277 | 5 | #10,081 |
| 1974 | 675 | #278 | 11 | #5,241 |
| 1973 | 580 | #303 | 7 | #7,186 |
| 1972 | 620 | #300 | 12 | #4,705 |
| 1971 | 774 | #273 | 8 | #6,416 |
| 1970 | 756 | #279 | 12 | #4,681 |
| 1969 | 764 | #270 | 5 | #8,289 |
| 1968 | 764 | #261 | 8 | #5,493 |
| 1967 | 789 | #255 | 7 | #5,871 |
| 1966 | 724 | #274 | 8 | #5,141 |
| 1965 | 815 | #259 | 5 | #7,219 |
| 1964 | 826 | #268 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 981 | #246 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 932 | #252 | 7 | #5,691 |
| 1961 | 950 | #254 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 1,016 | #250 | 5 | #7,031 |
| 1959 | 1,083 | #244 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 950 | #254 | 6 | #5,910 |
| 1957 | 942 | #250 | 7 | #5,235 |
| 1956 | 915 | #241 | 5 | #6,618 |
| 1955 | 914 | #235 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 947 | #228 | 5 | #6,362 |
| 1953 | 1,012 | #214 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 829 | #232 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 803 | #240 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 804 | #229 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 782 | #232 | 5 | #5,809 |
| 1948 | 814 | #227 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 814 | #224 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 741 | #222 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 695 | #206 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 715 | #207 | 7 | #3,966 |
| 1943 | 794 | #203 | 6 | #4,552 |
| 1942 | 870 | #181 | 8 | #3,648 |
| 1941 | 791 | #186 | 5 | #4,882 |
| 1940 | 807 | #182 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 801 | #178 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 795 | #182 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 661 | #194 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 631 | #195 | 13 | #2,357 |
| 1935 | 578 | #209 | 6 | #4,094 |
| 1934 | 569 | #214 | 7 | #3,707 |
| 1933 | 572 | #205 | 6 | #4,095 |
| 1932 | 629 | #204 | 6 | #4,285 |
| 1931 | 607 | #209 | 6 | #4,209 |
| 1930 | 630 | #209 | 7 | #3,942 |
| 1929 | 590 | #215 | 6 | #4,438 |
| 1928 | 681 | #201 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 673 | #206 | 13 | #2,659 |
| 1926 | 685 | #202 | 5 | #5,403 |
| 1925 | 738 | #186 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 753 | #188 | 9 | #3,592 |
| 1923 | 704 | #195 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 659 | #201 | 7 | #4,320 |
| 1921 | 704 | #194 | 8 | #3,925 |
| 1920 | 740 | #187 | 5 | #5,546 |
| 1919 | 682 | #187 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 664 | #190 | 6 | #4,667 |
| 1917 | 605 | #194 | 5 | #5,104 |
| 1916 | 619 | #188 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 606 | #184 | 5 | #4,773 |
| 1914 | 527 | #171 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 357 | #188 | 5 | #3,557 |
| 1912 | 349 | #166 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 180 | #175 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 142 | #189 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 113 | #194 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 112 | #189 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 129 | #168 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 100 | #182 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 126 | #160 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 81 | #204 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 93 | #179 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 78 | #202 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 97 | #159 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 135 | #154 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 107 | #147 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 112 | #153 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 104 | #150 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 86 | #191 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 108 | #143 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 76 | #196 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 72 | #200 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 98 | #161 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 86 | #155 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 71 | #191 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 80 | #170 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 85 | #175 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 62 | #195 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 78 | #176 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 83 | #160 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 89 | #154 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 79 | #161 | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 104 | #136 | 0 | – |
| 1881 | 90 | #138 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 99 | #138 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Nelson reached #136 in 1882. As a girl name, it reached #2,357 in 1936. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Nelson
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.