Fun Facts About the Name Nela
- 597 babies named Nela: U.S. records list 597 babies given the name Nela from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nela Mean?
Nela is a short form of longer given names rather than a name with one fixed meaning, so its sense depends on whichever name it shortens. In Czech and Slovak it is chiefly a domestic form of Antonie (Antonia), Petronela, Kornélie (Cornelia), and Helena; in Polish it also shortens Aniela (Angela); in Spanish and Portuguese it is a familiar form of Manuela. The meanings inherited from those source names are the usual glosses of the parents: Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius of uncertain origin, is traditionally explained as "priceless" or "invaluable"; Helena, whose own derivation is disputed and has been linked both to Greek helē ("light, torch") and to selēnē ("moon"), is commonly given as "shining" or "torch"; Manuela is the feminine of Emmanuel and means "God is with us"; Aniela goes back to Greek angelos, "messenger." None of these is a meaning that belongs to Nela by itself.
Nela Name History & Origins
Nela is one of many European pet names made by clipping a longer name to its final syllables. The element -nela is the part that survives from Antonela or Antonella, Petronela or Petronella, Cornelia, Helena, Manuela, Daniela, and Gabriela. In Slavic languages the clipped form normally ends in -a, which makes it look and behave like a full feminine name; in Czech and Slovak, Nela is used both as an everyday nickname and as an independent name given at birth.
South Slavic usage in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia follows the same pattern, with Helena and Antonija among the usual source names, and Nela also stands on its own. In Polish, Nela serves as a pet form of Aniela and Kornelia as well as of Helena and Petronela.
In the Spanish-speaking world, Nela is a familiar form of Manuela. The name is also known from Spanish literature: the heroine of Benito Pérez Galdós's novel Marianela (1878) is called Nela throughout, and the title form Marianela joins María to the same ending. This literary use is separate from the everyday use of Nela as a nickname for Manuela.
Short forms of the same kind appear in other languages: Italian has Nella, Dutch has Nel and Nella, and English has Nell, all cut from names such as Petronella, Cornelia, Helena, and Eleanor. Nela is not related to the similar-sounding Nala, a Swahili name, or to the Sanskrit Nila.
How Popular is the Name Nela?
Nela has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2019. Its best rank was #1,882 in 1906.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,718 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #7,833 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #4,960 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2022 | #7,535 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #6,339 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2020 | #6,838 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2019 | #5,001 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #5,953 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2017 | #11,355 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #7,881 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #6,646 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #7,550 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #6,942 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #10,227 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #6,502 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #7,794 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #9,261 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #8,010 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #6,746 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2006 | #7,404 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #10,708 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #10,474 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #17,630 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #17,192 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #12,763 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #15,408 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #12,207 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #7,475 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #5,689 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #6,457 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #4,896 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #4,377 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #5,252 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #4,112 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #4,818 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #4,088 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #4,493 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #4,754 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #4,905 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #3,257 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #4,569 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #4,683 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,072 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #5,659 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,875 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #3,100 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1921 | #4,927 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #4,809 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1919 | #4,648 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #4,666 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #2,663 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #3,817 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #4,112 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1913 | #3,556 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1912 | #2,559 | 7 | 0.0013% |
| 1907 | #2,288 | 5 | 0.0016% |
| 1906 | #1,882 | 6 | 0.0020% |
| 1903 | #1,991 | 5 | 0.0019% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Nela Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Nela's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nela's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.