Nelson
English · Boy · 2 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Nelson
Nelson derives from the Old English patronymic "Neil's son," where Neil comes from the Irish name Niall, meaning "champion" or "cloud," combined with the Germanic suffix "-son." The name became widespread in English-speaking countries during the medieval period and gained particular prominence through historical figures like Admiral Horatio Nelson, though it is used across Christian cultures and secular Western societies without strong religious association.
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Etymology
Nelson derives from the Old English patronymic "Neil's son," where Neil comes from the Irish name Niall, meaning "champion" or "cloud," combined with the Germanic suffix "-son." The name became widespread in English-speaking countries during the medieval period and gained particular prominence through historical figures like Admiral Horatio Nelson, though it is used across Christian cultures and secular Western societies without strong religious association.
Nelson currently ranks #825 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1959.
Variants & nicknames
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Sibling name ideas
English, Spanish, Portuguese names that sit beautifully beside NelsonSimilar names you might like
Names starting with NMore names starting with N
- Nael
- Nadia
- Naja
- Naim
- Nahia
- Naiara
- Nadine
- Naia
- Naila
- Nahil
- Nadar
- Naina
- Nahel
- Nail
- Naelle
- Naeem
- Nadja
- Nadeem
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Names that sound like Nelson
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