The first name Nelson
A boy’s name from English meaning “son of nicholas”.
Pronounced /ˈnɛlsən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Nelson means “son of nicholas” in English.
From Middle English Neil + -son and Nell + -son. * In the United States, also an Anglicisation of North Germanic (Scandinavian) surnames such as Nilsen, Nielsen, and Nilsson, equivalent to "son of Nicholas".
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 19 boys were named Nelson, making it the 1,406th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2012, with 40 births (#793).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nelson with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Nelson at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 300 boys born in the United States were named Nelson, the 825th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1959, when 1,084 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nelson in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Nelson
86 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Nelson PiquetBrazilian racing driver (born 1952)
- Nelson Piquet Jr.Brazilian racing driver (born 1985)
- Nélson Luís KerchnerBrazilian association football player, born 1962
- Nelson AlgrenAmerican novelist, short story writer (1909-1981)
- Nelson GoodmanAmerican philosopher (1906–1998)
- Nelson EddyAmerican actor and singer (1901–1967)
- Harry Nelson PillsburyAmerican chess player (1872-1906)
- Nelson VivasArgentine professional football manager and former player, born 1969
- Nelson RiddleAmerican arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator (1921-1985)
- Nelson PrudêncioAthletics competitor (1944–2012)
- Nelson Pereira dos SantosBrazilian film director (1928–2018)
- Charles Nelson ReillyAmerican comedian and actor (1931–2007)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Nelson mean?
- Nelson means “son of nicholas” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Nelson?
- From Middle English Neil + -son and Nell + -son. * In the United States, also an Anglicisation of North Germanic (Scandinavian) surnames such as Nilsen, Nielsen, and Nilsson, equivalent to "son of Nicholas".
- How popular is the name Nelson?
- In 2025, 19 boys born in England and Wales were named Nelson, ranking 1,406th. Its peak was 2012, with 40 births.
- What are nicknames for Nelson?
- Common nicknames for Nelson include Nel, Nellie.
- Is Nelson a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 80,140 US babies named Nelson since 1880 were boys.
- When was Nelson most popular?
- 1959 in the United States, when 1,084 babies were named Nelson, its highest rank at 244th.
- How do you pronounce Nelson?
- Nelson is /ˈnɛlsən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Nelson also a surname?
- Yes. Nelson is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.