Nelwyn
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Welsh or Cornish.
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the first name Nelwyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nelwyn today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nelwyn births was 1938 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nelwyn. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Nelwyn is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nelwyns were born before 1960.
People living today
194
~ 1 in 1,766,775 Americans
Peak year
1938
22 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1975 SSA rank
#8,701
Tracked since 1913
Census
Nelwyn in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 333 people with the first name Nelwyn, which placed it at #27,468 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
#27,468
National first-name rank
People counted
333
333 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
82.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nelwyn
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nelwyn is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Nelwyn 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 Nelwyn at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 276
- Black or African American13.5% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Popularity
Nelwyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nelwyn from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 174 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nelwyn 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 Nelwyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nelwyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nelwyn
The name Nelwyn is a unique and uncommon one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and speculation. Some linguists believe it to be derived from an ancient Germanic language, possibly linked to the Old English word "nele," meaning "daring" or "bold." Others trace its roots back to the Celtic languages, where it may have been a variation of the name "Niall," which means "champion" or "conqueror."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nelwyn can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from a monastery in northern England. The manuscript mentions a nun named Nelwyn, who was renowned for her piety and devotion to her faith. This suggests that the name may have held spiritual or religious significance in medieval times.
In the 16th century, a renowned explorer and cartographer named Nelwyn Hawkins was born in England (1550-1622). He was known for his detailed maps of the Caribbean and his daring voyages across the Atlantic. His name became associated with a sense of adventure and exploration during the Age of Discovery.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Nelwyn Fairfax (1723-1790) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution. She was a patriot and a spy for the Continental Army, using her wit and charm to gather intelligence from British officers. Her bravery and commitment to the cause of independence earned her a place in the annals of American history.
In the world of literature, Nelwyn Guthrie (1879-1954) was a celebrated Scottish poet and novelist. Her works captured the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the struggles of rural life. Her name became synonymous with the rich cultural heritage of Scotland and its literary traditions.
More recently, Nelwyn Pearson (1901-1985) was a pioneering aviator and one of the first women to obtain a commercial pilot's license in the United States. Her daring exploits in the skies and her dedication to breaking down gender barriers in aviation made her a trailblazer in her field.
These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have borne the name Nelwyn throughout history. While its exact origins remain elusive, the name has been associated with qualities such as courage, adventure, and artistic expression, making it a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Nelwyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nelwyn 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
Nelwyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nelwyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nelwyn 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 1,766,775 US residents.
Is Nelwyn a common name?
We classify Nelwyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 657 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nelwyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Nelwyn was 1938, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nelwyn is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nelwyn in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 333 people with the name Nelwyn, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #27,468 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 Nelwyn 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 Nelwyn?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nelwyn leans strongly female. 330 people counted with this name were female (98.5%), compared with 5 male bearers (1.5%). 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 Nelwyn?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nelwyn is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Nelwyn most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Nelwyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (276 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 Nelwyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nelwyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nelwyn 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 Nelwyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nelwyn 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 Nelwyn 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 are named Nelwyn?
Want to know how many Americans are named Nelwyn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.