Nellie Name Meaning & Origin
Nellie
Origin of the name Nellie:
A pet form of Ellen, which was originally a variant of Helen but is commonly used as a variant of Eleanor.Both names ultimately derived from the same Greek root ēlē (light, torch, bright).
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
Looking for the perfect name? Try the Name MatchMaker to find the perfect baby name for you!
NameVoyager
US Popularity of Nellie Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
Know a Nellie? What are her siblings named?
Name Lists Featuring Nellie
Contribute your knowledge to the name Nellie
- Comments and insights on the name Nellie
- Personal experiences with the name Nellie
- Nicknames for Nellie
Nell Nells Nellsie Nellsan Nellkuk Nike Netty Nessan
- Meanings and history of the name Nellie
Diminutive for names related to Helen, such as Ellen and Eleanor.
- Famous real-life people named Nellie
Nellie Melba, Australia soprano.
Nellie Bly, American journalist.
Nellie McKay, American singer-songwriter.
Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer.
And don't forget Nellie Nosepicker!- Nellie in song, story & screen
Nellie Olesen, Fictional character in the "Little House on the Prairie" books and television show.
Samantha Parkington, one of the American girl dolls, has a friend (also a doll) named Nellie
Nellie Forbush, heroine of the musical "South Pacific."
The name of one of Charlotte's three babies that stays behind with Wilbur in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. The other two are Joy and Aranea.
The most commonly accepted first name of Mrs. Lovett from the musical Sweeney Todd
Nelly is one of the little girls from the song Far Away by Ingrid Michaelson
Nellie Cross, downtrodden wife of Lucas Cross in the novel Peyton Place