Nelson
Nelson is ranked 778th among boys in 2024 (322 births). Its best rank was 136th, in 1882.
- Rank in 2024
- #778up 19 from 2023
- Births in 2024
- 3220.02% of boys
- Peak year
- 19591,083 births
- Best rank
- #136in 1882
- Since 1880
- 79,398people given the name
The story in the numbers
79,398 boys have been named Nelson in the United States since 1880, according to Social Security records. The busiest single year was 1959, with 1,083 births.
It is holding steady: its share of births has moved by less than half in either direction over ten years (rank 645 → 778).
Half of everyone given the name was born by 1961, and the 1950s alone account for 12%. It has spent 145 of 145 years in the top 1,000.
Rank among boys, year by year
By decade
| Decade | boys named Nelson | |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 849 | |
| 1890s | 920 | |
| 1900s | 1,064 | |
| 1910s | 4,731 | |
| 1920s | 6,927 | |
| 1930s | 6,473 | |
| 1940s | 7,823 | |
| 1950s | 9,199 | |
| 1960s | 8,561 | |
| 1970s | 6,846 | |
| 1980s | 7,008 | |
| 1990s | 7,163 | |
| 2000s | 5,873 | |
| 2010s | 4,267 | |
| 2020s | 1,694 |
In 1959, its biggest year
Nelson was the 244th most given boy’s name that year. The top five boys’ names of 1959 were Michael, David, James, John and Robert. See all of 1959.
Names that rose and fell with Nelson
Same sex, most similar popularity curve over 145 years, in five-year steps — the shape of the line, not the size.
- Josephpeak 1956
- Marshallpeak 1947
- Martinpeak 1963
- Johnpeak 1947
- Edwinpeak 1922
- Williamspeak 1950
- Jamespeak 1947
- Ulyssespeak 1999
What this page does not tell you. The Social Security data records how many babies were given a name, not what the name means or where it comes from — so neither do we. Counts cover people with a Social Security number; names given to fewer than five babies in a year are withheld. More on the data.