Nelson is a boy's name of English origin. It was derived from the Middle English given name Nel, which itself came from the Old French word "Neil," meaning "champion" or "valiant." The name Nelson has been popular for centuries, with notable bearers including the British admiral Horatio Nelson, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and is famous for his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. However, it is important to note that this presentation does not discuss any celebrations or character traits associated with people named Nelson.
The name Nelson experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a notable increase starting from the early 1910s. Between 1880 and 1909, there were fewer than 150 births per year on average, reaching a peak of 349 births in 1912. The name's popularity continued to grow throughout the first half of the 20th century, with over 600 births recorded annually from 1915 onwards.
However, after peaking at 870 births in 1942 during World War II, the popularity of the name Nelson began to decline. This trend continued until the late 1950s when the number of annual births with the name Nelson stabilized around 900-1000 for about a decade.
In the 1970s and 1980s, there was another increase in popularity, reaching a peak of 855 births in 1989. However, since then, the number of annual Nelson births has steadily declined, dropping below 400 births per year by 2014.
As of 2023, the name Nelson is no longer among the top choices for newborns, with only 310 births recorded in that year. Overall, there have been a total of 79,068 births with the name Nelson since 1880.