Given name & surname
Nela
“referring to a horn”
In German use, Nela is a short form of Cornelia. In Latin use, Cornelia carries the interpretation “referring to a horn.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Nela is a short form of Cornelia. In Latin use, Cornelia carries the interpretation “referring to a horn.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Asturian usage, Nela is a diminutive of Manuela. In German usage, Nela is a short form of Cornelia.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1903. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 597
- 0 boys · 597 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 27 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #8,718 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −2%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,718 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 2.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 836 as a first name in 2020; 120 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Nela’s family of names
In Asturian usage, Nela is a diminutive of Manuela. In German usage, Nela has a related form in Neela. In German usage, Nela is a short form of Cornelia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nela has relatives in 7 languages.
10 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Manuelafull form · Asturian
- Corneliafull form · German
- Neelavariant · German
- Anielafull form · Polish
- Nelinkadiminutive · Slovak, Czech
- Neelevariant · German
- Nelevariant · German
- Kornéliafull form · Slovak
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Nela
- Nela PociskováSlovak actress and singerborn 1990
- Nela EržišnikCroatian actress and comedian (1922-2007)
- Nela The Little ReporterNela (born in 2005) – traveler, author of travel books and TV programsborn 2006
- Nela HasanbegovićBosnian artistborn 1984
- Nela MartínezEcuadorian communist, political militant, activist, and writer1912–2004
- Nela KuburovićSerbian politicianborn 1982
- Nela RiehlGerman politician and teacherborn 1985
- Nela ÁlvarezFilipina actress1919–2009
- Nela Arias-MissonPainter1915–2015
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nela, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“from the Nile river”
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“will” · “desire”
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Briella is a feminine given name from Hebrew.
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“a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin”
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“to hang”
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“star of the sea”
>99% girls
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“one who is merciful”
>99% girls