Given name & surname
Nels
“of the victorious people”
Nels is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scandinavian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nels through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,841
- 3,841 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 65 babies
- 2025
- 22
- #4,656 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +42%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 22 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,656 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 42.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 65 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,848 as a first name in 2020; 149 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.
Nels’s family of names
In Danish usage, Nels has a related form in Nils. Nels is a form of Nils. Nels has a related form in Nils.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Nels
- Nels ClineAmerican guitarist and composerborn 1956
- Nels StewartCanadian ice hockey player (1902–1957)
- Nels H. SmithAmerican politician (1884–1976)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nels, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lambert
“the light of the land”
>99% boys
Arne
“resembling an eagle”
>99% boys
Alvis
“one who is wise”
>99% boys
Gustave
“of the staff of the gods”
>99% boys
Verner
“of the defending army”
92% boys · 8% girls
Thurman
“protected by Thor”
>99% boys
Howard
“army guardian” · “the guardian of the home”
>99% boys
Roosevelt
“from the field of roses”
77% boys · 23% girls