How Many People Are Named Nelson?
people named Nelson are alive in the United States today (estimate)
About 1 in 6,871 people in the US has this name
Based on 80,140 babies named Nelson in Social Security records from 1880 to 2025, and the share of each birth year still alive in 2025.
Popularity Rank
💎 Rare
Peak Year
1,084 births
Trend
Stable (last 10 years)
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Meaning:
From an English surname meaning "son of NEIL". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he repulsed the fleet of Napoleon, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name Nelson by a teacher.
Source of the meaning, origin, pronunciation and related names: Behind the Name.
⚧ Gender Distribution
Of the babies given the name Nelson, 0.6% were girls and 99.4% were boys.
👥 Age Distribution
The average person named Nelson alive today is about 44 years old, and 40% are between 30 and 59. Half of them were between 26 and 63 in 2025.
📈 Popularity Over Time
Nelson first appears in the records in 1880 and was given most often in 1959, to 1,084 babies. In 2025, 300 babies got the name.
Babies given the name each year, 1880 to 2025
🏆 Rank History
Nelson has never been one of the 100 most popular boys' names. Its best rank was #136, in 1882. In 2025 it ranked #825.
| Boys | |
|---|---|
| Rank in 2025 | #825 |
| Best rank | #136 (1882) |
| Years in the top 100 | None |
| Rank in its biggest decade | #237 in the 1950s |
📍 State-Wise Distribution
People named Nelson alive today, by the state where they were born (estimate; state records start in 1910).
More people named Nelson were born in New York than in any other state: about 8,977 of those alive today. Compared with the national rate in the same years, Nelson was given 2.9 times as often in Hawaii, 2.1 times in New York and 1.9 times in Virginia.
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