Origin: |
Nell started as a short-form of Eleanor (see post for origin) and later also became used as a short form of Ellen and Helen. There is a popular theory that Nell developed from the affectionate phrase "Mine Eleanor" which became "Mine El" and then "My Nell." This certainly explains the use of Nan (Anne), Noll (Oliver), Nab (Abel), Nalle (Alice) and Ned (Edward), but doesn't explain why Elizabeth became Bess, not Ness. Ted was also used for Ed- names, Tib, Bib and Nib were used for Isabel, and Nobb, Hobb and Dobb were used for Robert. In the case of American novelist (Nelle) Harper Lee (1926-2016), she received the name Nelle as it was her grandmother's name (Ellen) spelled backwards. The surname Nell does not derive from Eleanor, but instead derives from the the Old Irish name Niall. The name was taken to Norway as Njall and introduced to England as Nel, and later became Neil. The surname Nelson means "son of Nel." |
Usage: |
Nell has been in use as a short form since at least the 16th century, but is quite likely older. Nell is a kitchen maid in Shakespeare's play Comedy of Errors. It isn't clear when the play was written, but it was first performed in 1594. The diminutive form Nelly/Nellie also dates from at least the 17th century. The variant spelling Nelle is also found, not only in small numbers in England, but also in Prussia, the Netherlands and Scandinavia in broader numbers in the 16th century. Nella can also be found in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands at this time as well. One of the most famous bearers was Nell Gwynne (1650-1687), one of the first actresses on the English stage, and a favourite mistress of King Charles II. Born Eleanor Gwyn, originally an orange-seller, Nell's story is a real rags-to-royalty tale. As an actress, Nell became quite the celebrity and she was well known for her frank, happy nature, high spirits and generosity. Famous diarist Samuel Pepys referred to her as "pretty, witty Nell" in 1665 and her love affair with Charles II began in 1668. Of all of Charles' mistresses, Nell was the only one who was beloved by the public.* Reputedly, she was not grasping or greedy like other mistresses, and was “a true child of the London streets,”* never inveigling herself in politics. Her generous nature and partying lifestyle also meant she was frequently in dept. Famously, on his death bed, Charles II was said to have said “Let not poor Nelly starve” to his brother James. Nell Gwyn remained a folk hero after her death. A few girls in the 19th century were even registered with the name "Nell Gwyn(ne)." Nell alone was uncommon but in consistent use from the 17th to the 20th century. Its usage is masked by the fact that it was more commonly used as a nickname for Eleanor and Ellen — both of which were top 20 names in England and Wales from 1538 to 1700 and were still in the top 50 until the 20th century. Nell Trent, or "Little Nell", is the virtuous heroine of Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop (1840) and Ellen "Nelly" Dean is the housekeeper and narrator of Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights (1847). In the early 19th century, Nell appears to be especially concentrated in Cardiganshire on the mid-West coast of Wales, specifically in the district of Aberayron: all of the birth registrations for Nell in the 1840s, and all but three of the registrations in the 1850s, were in this district, and this pattern continued up until the 1880s (as we can see from data from the 1881 census, see right).Nellie and Nelly were more widespread. Most of the births were in England, but when we look at births per 100,000 people, we see that it was well used in southern Scotland as well, though little used in Wales. Registration records for Nell and variant forms as a first name in England & Wales:
As we can see from the data above, Nell was initially the most common form until Nelly saw a rise in the 1850s. This was followed by an explosion in popularity for both Nellie and Nelly in the 1860s and 1870s. Contemporary newspapers mention the song Nelly Gray frequently in 1860 and the novel Nelly Deane: A Story Of Everyday Life (1864) was well advertised, but beyond this, there is little popular culture reference to explain the name's sudden rise, other than it fit the fashions of the time, and reflected the popularity of Ellen, Eleanor and Helen. Indeed, Nellie/Nelly became so popular, both managed to break into the top 100 in England and Wales:
By the 1960s, all forms of the name were uncommon. In recent years, however, all have seen a rise. First came Nell, which, from ranking #3126 (4 births) in 1996 in England and Wales, began to rise steeply in 2000, reaching #342 (103 births) in 2002. It has remained quite consistent since. Since 2006, Nellie and Nelly have also been rising, with Nellie outranking Nell in 2015, when it almost tripled in use from #668 (59 births) to #307 (157 births), and Nelly also seeing a marked rise. Some of this steep rise may have been thanks to reality TOWIE star Billie Faiars naming her daughter Nelly Samantha in 2014. In 2017 in England and Wales, Nellie ranked #233 (216 births), Nell ranked #306 (159 births), Nelly ranked #493 (88 births), Nella ranked #870 (44 births) and Nelle ranked #1681 (18 births). The animated children's series Nella the Princess Knight (2017-) may further boost the variant Nella in upcoming years. In all forms, Nell- names are less common in Scotland, with Nell still the most dominant form. In 2017, Nell ranked #446 (7 births), Nellie ranked #501 (6 births), Nelly ranked #1007 (2 births) and Nelle ranked #1537 (1 birth). |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (1650–1687), early actress and mistress of King Charles II. Contemporary: * Nell Blaine (1922–1996), American painter.* Nell Rankin (1924–2005), American opera singer. * Nelle Harper Lee (1926–2016), American novelist. * Nelly Ben-Or (born 1933), Polish concert pianist and professor. * Nell Dunn (born 1936), English playwright, screenwriter, and author. * Nell McCafferty (born 1944), Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner, and feminist. * Nell Carter (1948–2003), American singer and actress. * Nell McAndrew (born 1973), English model and presenter. * Nell Freudenberger (born 1975), American novelist. * Nell Bryden (born 1977), American singer. * Nelly Furtado (born 1978), Canadian R&B singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and record producer. Literature and Other Media: * Nell, a character in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. |
Variants: |
Nelle, Nellie, Nelly, Nella |
Pronunciation: |
NEL [key] |
Possible longer forms: |
Eleanor, Ellen, Helen, Helena, Annelie, Annelise, Antonella, Cornelia, Daniella, Fenella, Nephele, Ornella, Penelope, Prunella |
Sibling Names: |
Olive Willa Polly Sadie Wren Ada |
Name Lists: |
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Thanks to Amy for requesting this name.