Every name given to a US baby since 1880, ranked year by year — straight from Social Security Administration birth records. 105,966 names · 375,362,447 births · public domain.

Nels

#2,098 most common boys' name of all time · #5,022 across all names · 100% male / 0% female · used 1880–2025

Rank among boys
#2,098
Rank overall
#5,022 of 105,966
First appeared
1880 or earlier
Years on the list
146 of 146
All-time
3,841
Since 2016
172
Peak year
1918 #813
Best rank
#311 1893
Girls Boys peak 65/yr
18801900192019401960198020002020

Nels is in the records from the very first year available, so it was almost certainly in use before 1880 — the data simply doesn't go back further.

Year by year

YearGirlsBoysTotalRank
2025 — 22 22 #4,540
2024 — 18 18 #5,245
2023 — 19 19 #5,078
2022 — 19 19 #5,024
2021 — 23 23 #4,365
2020 — 16 16 #5,455
2019 — 13 13 #6,409
2018 — 11 11 #7,144
2017 — 16 16 #5,529
2016 — 15 15 #5,793
2015 — 14 14 #6,002
2014 — 21 21 #4,544
2013 — 7 7 #9,676
2012 — 11 11 #7,056
2011 — 12 12 #6,580
2010 — 17 17 #5,262
2009 — 16 16 #5,557
2008 — 10 10 #7,709
2007 — 12 12 #6,637
2006 — 7 7 #9,600
2005 — 15 15 #5,282
2004 — 12 12 #6,147
2003 — 9 9 #7,261
2002 — 10 10 #6,531
2001 — 14 14 #5,148
2000 — 14 14 #5,045
1999 — 8 8 #7,154
1998 — 13 13 #4,885
1997 — 14 14 #4,459
1996 — 19 19 #3,553
1995 — 11 11 #5,136
1994 — 12 12 #4,814
1993 — 18 18 #3,507
1992 — 17 17 #3,610
1991 — 17 17 #3,472
1990 — 23 23 #2,782
1989 — 25 25 #2,548
1988 — 15 15 #3,365
1987 — 22 22 #2,469
1986 — 22 22 #2,431
1985 — 18 18 #2,718
1984 — 27 27 #1,983
1983 — 20 20 #2,412
1982 — 41 41 #1,517
1981 — 31 31 #1,816
1980 — 43 43 #1,452
1979 — 28 28 #1,906
1978 — 22 22 #2,141
1977 — 27 27 #1,862
1976 — 37 37 #1,473
1975 — 21 21 #2,141
1974 — 29 29 #1,661
1973 — 32 32 #1,517
1972 — 23 23 #1,873
1971 — 28 28 #1,671
1970 — 29 29 #1,585
1969 — 33 33 #1,396
1968 — 24 24 #1,618
1967 — 33 33 #1,321
1966 — 41 41 #1,168
1965 — 32 32 #1,361
1964 — 27 27 #1,514
1963 — 38 38 #1,259
1962 — 31 31 #1,405
1961 — 46 46 #1,159
1960 — 38 38 #1,278
1959 — 43 43 #1,183
1958 — 42 42 #1,189
1957 — 43 43 #1,189
1956 — 51 51 #1,060
1955 — 55 55 #1,017
1954 — 36 36 #1,247
1953 — 48 48 #1,050
1952 — 46 46 #1,068
1951 — 45 45 #1,073
1950 — 45 45 #1,055
1949 — 41 41 #1,097
1948 — 36 36 #1,196
1947 — 36 36 #1,217
1946 — 46 46 #1,008
1945 — 26 26 #1,302
1944 — 35 35 #1,122
1943 — 36 36 #1,145
1942 — 35 35 #1,174
1941 — 23 23 #1,415
1940 — 35 35 #1,108
1939 — 31 31 #1,175
1938 — 28 28 #1,250
1937 — 38 38 #1,039
1936 — 30 30 #1,207
1935 — 26 26 #1,327
1934 — 32 32 #1,178
1933 — 40 40 #1,015
1932 — 24 24 #1,430
1931 — 42 42 #1,034
1930 — 26 26 #1,434
1929 — 26 26 #1,416
1928 — 32 32 #1,273
1927 — 52 52 #967
1926 — 39 39 #1,146
1925 — 47 47 #998
1924 — 37 37 #1,190
1923 — 38 38 #1,160
1922 — 38 38 #1,162
1921 — 45 45 #1,047
1920 — 44 44 #1,049
1919 — 34 34 #1,211
1918 — 65 65 #813
1917 — 46 46 #949
1916 — 58 58 #814
1915 — 56 56 #818
1914 — 45 45 #790
1913 — 39 39 #749
1912 — 30 30 #805
1911 — 18 18 #766
1910 — 11 11 #996
1909 — 11 11 #908
1908 — 13 13 #757
1907 — 16 16 #647
1906 — 11 11 #771
1905 — 14 14 #650
1904 — 7 7 #980
1903 — 9 9 #799
1902 — 14 14 #595
1901 — 8 8 #799
1900 — 8 8 #986
1899 — 14 14 #532
1898 — 19 19 #481
1897 — 14 14 #567
1896 — 21 21 #434
1895 — 20 20 #446
1894 — 20 20 #433
1893 — 32 32 #311
1892 — 19 19 #456
1891 — 18 18 #422
1890 — 15 15 #506
1889 — 17 17 #456
1888 — 32 32 #323
1887 — 19 19 #389
1886 — 15 15 #484
1885 — 20 20 #408
1884 — 32 32 #313
1883 — 19 19 #411
1882 — 26 26 #353
1881 — 18 18 #413
1880 — 12 12 #553