Nell

NEHL

English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et al

"bright, shining one"

Nell Origin and Meaning

The name Nell is a girl's name of English origin meaning "bright, shining one".

Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name style, it hasn't taken off the way some of its sisters have and so maintains an air of distinction. Use Nell or Nellie as a short for any name from Eleanor to Penelope or just name her Nell.

Nell was the pet name Franklin D. Roosevelt called his wife Eleanor (along with Babs), the famous Little Nell in Dickens' Old Curiosity Shop was Elinor, and the infamous mistress of Charles II, Nell Gwynne, was born Eleanor as well.

Nell was the belle of the ball in the US back in the late 19th century but has been off the charts since 1956. Meanwhile across the pond in England and Wales, it a much more on-trend choice, currently in the Top 300.

Sister name Nellie has been rising faster however, and entered the Top 100 in the UK for the first time in 2023. In the US, it reached #611 in a recent year, which might make Nell feel more popular than it is.

Jodie Foster played the title character of the 1994 movie Nell, and Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton named their daughter Nell, keeping the family tradition of names related to Helen.

Nell Rank in US Top 1000

# 988 in the US

Nell Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 207 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Nell

• 207 Nameberry 2025
• 688 Unique 2023
• 930 Future 2028
• 294 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Nell

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Nell.

• Edie
• Etta
• Effie
• Ida
• Greta
• Lottie
• Bea
• Margo
• Pippa
• Hattie
• Winnie
• Maude
• Caldonia
• Nellie
• Onnie
• Marnie
• Blythe
• Kit
• Alma
• Dellamae

Famous People Named Nell

• Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn English actress and mistress
• Laura Elizabeth "Little Nell" Campbell Australian actress and singer
• Nell Ruth Carter American singer and actress
• Nell Rose Hudson British actress
• Nell Tiger Free English actress and singer
• Nell Blair Walden Blaine American painter
• Nell Bryden American singer
• Nell Mary Dunn English playwright
• Nell Freudenberger American novelist
• Tracey Jane "Nell" McAndrew English glamour model
• Nell McCafferty Irish journalist and playwright
• Nell Mescal Irish singer and sister of Paul Mescal
• Nell O'Day American actress and equestrian
• Nell Rankin American operatic mezzo,soprano
• Nell Shipman (born Helen Foster Barham), Canadian actress
• Ragnhild "Nell" Westgaard Sigland Norwegian singer of Theatre of Tragedy
• Scottie Nell Hughes American political commentator
• Nell Burton daughter of Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton
• Nell Gorman (b. 2009) son of actor Burn Gorman
• Nell Elizabeth Kennedy (b. 2015) daughter of politician Patrick Kennedy

The name Nell in Pop Culture

• Nell Trent aka Little Nell main character in Charles Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop"
• Nell Kellty main character in movie "Nell"
• Nell Bedworth character in movie "It's a Boy Girl Thing"
• Nell Jones character on TV's "NCIS: Los Angeles"
• Nell Turbody character on TV's "Rescue Me"
• Nellodee "Nell " character in Neal Stephenson's "The Diamond Age, or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer"
• Nell McLaughlin character in "My friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara
• Nell Fenwick character in the "Dudley Do,Right" segments of animated series "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"
• Nell Rebecchi character on Australian soap opera "Neighbours"
• Nell Stone main character in "Euphoria" by Lily King, inspired by the life of Margaret Mead

International Variations of the name Nell

• Neile Irish
• Nela Irish
• Nelya Russian
• Neila Irish
• Nialla Irish