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Nela
OriginVariation of Nell or short form of Cornelia or any name ending in -nela
Meaning"bright, shining one"
About Nela
Nela is a pretty if slight name that ranks among the Top 1000 for girls in the UK. It is commonly used throughout Europe as a short form for any range of names ending in -nela including Cornelia and Fenella, though it is widely used on its own.
Pronounced NEL-ah.
As of October 2026, Nela ranked #8718 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1882 in 1906.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
US popularity — history
US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025
Actual · SSA
20142025
18802025
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | #4,960 | 27 | 16.8 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
World rankings
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Nela on lists
Famous Nelas
- Nela Bijanic
Serbian singer
Save Nela
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