Given name & surname
Nellis
“the shining light”
Nellis is a variant of Nelly. In English use, Nelly carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Nellis is a variant of Nelly. In English use, Nelly carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nellis through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 36
- 18 boys · 18 girls
- Most popular year
- 1919
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1938. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 7 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 129 as a first name in 2020; 2,660 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.
Nellis’s family of names
Nellis has a related form in Nelly. In Greek usage, Nellis as a surname is a transliteration of Νέλλης.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Nellis, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Llewellyn
“resembling a lion”
68% boys · 32% girls
Garnet
“resembling the dark-red gem”
33% boys · 67% girls
Arlie
“from the meadow of the hare” · “from the hare's meadow”
25% boys · 75% girls
Harlin
“an athletic woman” · “from the army”
73% boys · 27% girls
Marcelle
“the little warrior” · “dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
26% boys · 74% girls
Leone
“resembling a lion” · “having the strength of a lion”
73% boys · 27% girls
Everette
“as strong as a boar; as brave as a boar”
73% boys · 27% girls
Arlington
67% boys · 33% girls