Nelda

#9,457 for girls in 2025, 10 births · Last seen for boys in 1935 at #3,645
Given to girls >99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1939 · 546 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
20,139
since 1884

Nelda over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Nelda has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201942peak #264, 1939girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#9,45710
2024#8,94611
2023
2022#12,2437
2021
2020
2019#13,7996
2018#13,7936
2017#15,9025
2016
2015#14,4826
2014#16,5135
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007#15,4916
2006#11,4179
2005#11,8348
2004#16,0995
2003#9,67110
2002#15,4325
2001#12,0567
2000#11,8017
1999#9,4799
1998#11,1387
1997#8,33410
1996#6,39214
1995#8,07910
1994#8,12210
1993#8,05210
1992#6,31414
1991#9,3368
1990#10,1937
1989#3,78426
1988#5,32115
1987#3,52425
1986#7,7498
1985#4,45517
1984#3,14427
1983#2,91029
1982#2,28843
1981#2,77432
1980#2,80032
1979#2,18745
1978#2,39037
1977#2,34138
1976#2,06042
1975#1,68956
1974#1,68854
1973#1,93942
1972#1,50263
1971#1,29285
1970#1,40774
1969#1,17690
1968#1,09095
1967#1,07194
1966#1,031101
1965#876130
1964#815165
1963#801168
1962#763186
1961#701224
1960#661235
1959#671222
1958#631242
1957#574284
1956#560280
1955#476361
1954#477350
1953#485318
1952#436387
1951#423392
1950#414375
1949#370447
1948#350490
1947#371468
1946#327521
1945#319451
1944#326435
1943#311500
1942#321464
1941#270554
1940#267540
1939#264546
1938#266567
1937#274526
1936#265524
1935#281473#3,6455
1934#277493
1933#277476
1932#287468
1931#310424
1930#317434
1929#332376
1928#312440
1927#320436
1926#357349
1925#384315
1924#388312
1923#439238
1922#415251
1921#459229
1920#451224
1919#554154
1918#549164
1917#494177
1916#522158
1915#518146
1914#518117
1913#59475
1912#62063
1911#62447
1910#79429
1909#69133
1908#1,00416
1907#74925
1906#57837
1905#71325
1904#83719
1903#86216
1902#81818
1901#74719
1900#68827
1899#1,03410
1898#1,04711
1897#98211
1896#1,2138
1895#93212
1894#1,1368
1893#1,0239
1892
1891#1,3325
1890
1889#9508
1888#9598
1887#9377
1886
1885
1884#1,0245
1883
1882
1881
1880
First appearance
1884

The first year at least five girls were named Nelda! It came in at #1,024, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1884–1886, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Nelda is popular in 1942

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMNIllinois: #519 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 7,834 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWIMichigan: #399 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 5,574 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedSDIowa: #353 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,225 girlsIAIndiana: #309 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,551 girlsINOhio: #618 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 13,174 girlsOHPennsylvania: #622 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 15,010 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #432 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 4,601 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedNEMissouri: #191 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,294 girlsMOKentucky: #226 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,467 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedWVVirginia: #345 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,650 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #148 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 531 girlsNMKansas: #288 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,326 girlsKSArkansas: #187 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 926 girlsARTennessee: #269 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,958 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #390 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,191 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #151 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 816 girlsOKLouisiana: #237 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,142 girlsLAMississippi: #193 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 901 girlsMSAlabama: #193 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,002 girlsALGeorgia: #376 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,518 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Nelda, so not publishedHITexas: #112 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 511 girlsTXFlorida: #369 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,965 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#112 · 1 in 511
  2. New Mexico#148 · 1 in 531
  3. Oklahoma#151 · 1 in 816
  4. Arkansas#187 · 1 in 926
  5. Missouri#191 · 1 in 1,294

Best ever in a state: #51 in Texas, 1938.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Texas#1121311 in 511
New Mexico#148111 in 531
Oklahoma#151251 in 816
Arkansas#187221 in 926
Missouri#191251 in 1,294
Alabama#193331 in 1,002
Mississippi#193271 in 901
Kentucky#226201 in 1,467
Louisiana#237231 in 1,142
Tennessee#269161 in 1,958
Kansas#28861 in 2,326
Indiana#30991 in 3,551
Virginia#34581 in 3,650
Iowa#35351 in 4,225
Florida#36961 in 2,965
Georgia#376101 in 3,518
North Carolina#390101 in 4,191
Michigan#399101 in 5,574
California#432151 in 4,601
Illinois#51991 in 7,834
Ohio#61851 in 13,174
Pennsylvania#62261 in 15,010
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Nelda
Momentum · girls
Brand new
  • 511 spots since 2024 (#8,946#9,457)
  • 5,025 spots since 2015 (#14,482#9,457)
  • Biggest jump: 346 spots in 1900 (#1,034#688)
  • Biggest drop: 281 spots in 1896 (#932#1,213)
Rise & fade · girls
55 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1884
  • Peaked 1939 at #264 (546 births)
  • Births halved by 1958, 19 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 70 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 70 yrs · run 1909–1965
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,946
  • Highest: 1 in 1,946 girls born in 1938 were named Nelda (0.05%)
  • Latest: 1 in 160,727 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #264 in 1939, was only 1 in 2,008 (0.05%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1930s
  • 24.5% of all girls named Nelda (4,931) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s28#937 (1887)#968
1890s74#932 (1895)#1,087
1900s235#578 (1906)#769
1910s1,130#494 (1917)#579
1920s3,170#312 (1928)#386
1930s4,931#264 (1939)#282
1940s4,870#267 (1940)#323
1950s3,211#414 (1950)#515
1960s1,488#661 (1960)#899
1970s536#1,292 (1971)#1,850
1980s254#2,288 (1982)#3,875
1990s99#6,314 (1992)#8,544
2000s57#9,671 (2003)#12,975
2010s28#13,793 (2018)#14,898
2020s28#8,946 (2024)#10,215

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Nelda in 1942

girls
#321
464 births · 1 in 2,911 girls

Top girls' names in 1942

  1. #1Mary63,256
  2. #2Barbara44,739
  3. #3Patricia39,465
  4. #4Linda31,613
  5. #5Carol30,272
  6. #6Sandra24,994
  7. #7Judith24,792
  8. #8Nancy23,327
  9. #9Betty21,659
  10. #10Carolyn19,978
  11. #321Nelda464
More about 1942

girls

1,350,719 girls got a published name in 1942; 1 in 2,911 of them was named Nelda, which outranked 94.0% of the 5,378 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nelda
  1. #318Nadine477
  2. #319Amy473
  3. #320Natalie468
  4. #321Nelda464
  5. #321Gretchen464
  6. #323Sadie457
  7. #323Winifred457
  8. #325Camille450

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1941
Risers
  1. 3,567Michal#4,420#853
  2. 1,885Merrily#2,397#512
  3. 1,081Merrilee#1,954#873
  4. 783Jerrilyn#1,610#827
  5. 760Candace#1,418#658
Fallers
  1. 354Rebekah#924#1,278
  2. 350Leatha#830#1,180
  3. 307Nella#993#1,300
  4. 272Arla#934#1,206
  5. 262Vivien#735#997

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1942