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Nell

Girl name · 147 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Nell: 147 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 16 births in 2024.

Nell began as a medieval pet form of Eleanor or Helen, ultimately from the Greek Helene, meaning "torch" or "moon," though it has long stood as an independent name in its own right. The most famous bearer is probably the Victorian novelist Nell Gwyn, the spirited orange-seller turned actress who became a mistress of King Charles II and a beloved figure of London's Restoration era. In literature, Charles Dickens created the tragic Little Nell in *The Old Curiosity Shop*, a character who moved readers to tears on both sides of the Atlantic. The name also appears in the classic nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard," whose dog is named Nell. While less common in Scotland than its longer forms, Nell has a crisp, vintage charm that feels both sturdy and sweet.