Nelly is a name of French origin, derived from the word "neller," which means "little nut tree." The name was originally given to girls born under the sign of the Virgo zodiac constellation, as the nut tree is associated with this astrological sign. Nelly has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in France during the 19th century. Today, Nelly is still widely recognized as a feminine given name, although it can also be used as a shortened form of the masculine name Napoleon. Despite its origins, Nelly does not have any specific associated traits or personality characteristics beyond those associated with the Virgo zodiac sign. Instead, people named Nelly are simply known by their unique and charming name.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Nelly in the United States, it is clear that this name has had varying popularity over the years. The earliest data starts from 1882 with 10 births, and it appears to have been relatively steady up until around the early 1950s.
From 1954 onwards, there is a notable increase in the number of births named Nelly each year. This trend continues until the late 1970s, reaching a peak of 158 births in 2006. However, after this peak, there is a decline in popularity, with fewer than 100 births per year from 2011 onwards.
Despite this recent decline in popularity, Nelly remains a popular name overall, with a total of 7449 births recorded in the United States since 1882. This demonstrates that while trends and preferences may change over time, some names continue to be chosen by parents generation after generation.