Nelson is a distinctive choice, ranked #1406 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Nelson in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1406
US Rank #825
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About the Name Nelson
Nelson has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 383 places in five years. It was most popular in 1997 at #589 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Nelson is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Nelson in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #778, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Nelson
Billy Bass Nelson — William "Billy Bass" Nelson Jr. was an American musician who was the original bassist for Funkadelic.
Fraser Nelson — Fraser Andrew Nelson is a British political journalist and columnist for The Times.
Tyka Nelson — Tyka Evene Nelson was an American singer.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nelson
Unlikely. With around 19 UK babies named Nelson per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nelson in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nelson is declining: down 387 places since 2020, to #1,406 in 2025. It peaked at #589 in 1997.
Nelson is more popular in the US (#778) than in the UK (#1402). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Nelson include: Fraser Nelson, Ben Nelson and Nelson Peltz. Short summaries for each appear below.
Nelson ranks #778 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
19
UK babies named Nelson (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 387 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nelson
Almost certainly the only Nelson in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Nelson
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story