Neli
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a diminutive form of Cornelia.
Name Census estimates that about 306 living Americans carry the first name Neli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neli today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neli births was 2007 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neli. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Neli with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
306
~ 1 in 1,120,112 Americans
Peak year
2007
15 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,782
Tracked since 1975
Census
Neli in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,122 people with the first name Neli, which placed it at #11,421 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#11,421
National first-name rank
People counted
1.1K
1,122 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
56.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neli
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Neli is Hispanic at 56.4%. The next largest groups are White (38.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Neli described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Neli at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino56.4% · 633
- White38.6% · 433
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 23
- Black or African American1.7% · 19
- Two or more races1.0% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Popularity
Neli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neli from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 106 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Neli remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neli by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Neli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nelis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Neli
The name Neli is of Slavic origin and is believed to have its roots in the Bulgarian language. It is derived from the Bulgarian word "nel," which means "tender" or "gentle." The name Neli has been in use for centuries in various Slavic countries, particularly in Bulgaria and the surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Neli can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was mentioned in ancient Slavic texts and chronicles. During this time, the name was primarily associated with the Bulgarian nobility and aristocracy, and it was often given to girls from prominent families.
Throughout history, the name Neli has appeared in various literary works and religious texts. In the 14th century, a Bulgarian manuscript known as the "Neli Codex" was written, which contained various religious texts and hymns. This codex is considered an important part of the Bulgarian literary heritage and is a testament to the longstanding use of the name.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Neli, one can mention Neli Kordova (1872-1944), a Bulgarian actress and playwright who made significant contributions to the development of Bulgarian theater in the early 20th century. Another prominent figure was Neli Ranghelova (1916-2000), a Bulgarian painter and artist whose works are celebrated for their vibrant colors and depictions of Bulgarian folk life.
In the realm of literature, Neli Dobreva (1915-2000) was a renowned Bulgarian writer and poet, known for her lyrical works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience. Her poetry collections, such as "Singing Stones" and "Echoes of Eternity," have left a lasting impact on Bulgarian literature.
It is also worth mentioning Neli Vasileva (1925-2005), a Bulgarian soprano and opera singer who gained international acclaim for her performances in various opera houses around the world. Her rich and powerful voice earned her numerous awards and accolades throughout her career.
Another notable figure was Neli Krasteva (1949-2005), a Bulgarian volleyball player who represented her country in multiple international competitions, including the Olympics. She was a key member of the Bulgarian national team that won numerous medals and championships during her playing career.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Neli, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural heritage of their respective countries and regions.
People
Neli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Neli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 306 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neli going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,120,112 US residents.
Is Neli a common name?
We classify Neli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 313 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neli most popular?
The single biggest year for Neli was 2007, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neli is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Neli in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,122 people with the name Neli, or 0.37 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #11,421 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Neli in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Neli?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Neli leans strongly female. 1,102 people counted with this name were female (98.4%), compared with 18 male bearers (1.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Neli?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Neli is Hispanic at 56.4%. The next largest groups are White (38.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Neli most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Neli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (633 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Neli in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neli a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neli in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Neli still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neli in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Neli can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Neli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.