Nyellie
A feminine name of English origin potentially meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 283 living Americans carry the first name Nyellie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nyellie today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyellie births was 2024 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyellie. 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.
People living today
283
~ 1 in 1,211,146 Americans
Peak year
2024
41 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,728
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Nyellie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyellie from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 130 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyellie 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 Nyellie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nyellies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Nyellie, while California, Florida, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nyellie
The given name Nyellie has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the southern part of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the 3rd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian word "Nyel," which means "moon" or "celestial body." The name was likely given to children born during a significant lunar event or under a particularly bright moon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nyellie can be found in a cuneiform tablet dating back to around 2500 BCE, which mentions a Sumerian priestess named Nyellie who served in the temple of the moon god Nanna. This suggests that the name was associated with religious or spiritual significance during that time.
In ancient Greek mythology, there is a reference to a figure named Nyellie, who was a minor goddess associated with the moon and its phases. This connection further reinforces the celestial connotations of the name.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nyellie was relatively uncommon in Europe, but there are records of a few notable individuals bearing this name. One example is Nyellie of Verdun, a French noblewoman born in 1148 who was known for her patronage of the arts and her charitable works.
In the 16th century, there was a renowned Italian artist named Nyellie Berruguete (1499-1562) who was celebrated for her intricate woodcut engravings and illustrations in religious texts.
Another notable figure with the name Nyellie was Nyellie Nightingale (1820-1910), a British nurse and social reformer who was a pioneer in the field of modern nursing. She is best known for her work during the Crimean War and her efforts to improve sanitary conditions in military hospitals.
In the realm of literature, there is a character named Nyellie in the 19th-century novel "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. The character, a young woman of Indian descent, plays a pivotal role in the story's central mystery surrounding the theft of a valuable diamond.
While the name Nyellie is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a rich historical and cultural significance, particularly in its connection to celestial bodies and the moon, as well as its presence in various artistic and literary works throughout the ages.
People
Nyellie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyellie 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
Nyellie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyellie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 283 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyellie 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 1,211,146 US residents.
Is Nyellie a common name?
We classify Nyellie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 285 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyellie most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyellie was 2024, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyellie is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Nyellie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyellie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyellie 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 Nyellie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyellie 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 Nyellie 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Nyellie as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.