Origin and Meaning of Nelson

Let’s look at the meaning of Nelson. There isn’t an exact meaning behind the name but most of the evidence points to it being derived from the name Neil or Nell. Nelson can also be a surname.

Popularity of the Name

The popularity of Nelson isn’t very strong in Europe. In England it is not currently (2013) in the top 100 baby boys’ names. In America, it’s a different story. There are so many men named Nelson. They either get it as a first name or last.

Famous People with the Name Nelson

There have been some very important and influential people with the name Nelson:

• Nelson Mandela the South African President who beat apartheid.
• Horatio Nelson was an Admiral in the Royal Navy who famously fought in the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon.

There are also places with the name Nelson, there is the Nelson River in Canada, Nelsons Island in Trinidad and Tobago and the Nelson County in the USA.

There is the Nelson College and Nelson School for Girls. These both are located in New Zealand. If you want to visit both places, get yourself a ticket and fly over there.

Useful Resources

• Discover the meaning and popularity of other English boys’ names on our website.