Female Name
Nellie
ˈnɛl.i
ˈnɛ.lɪ
Overview
Gender
feminine
Origin
Categories
American Girl characters
Arrested Development characters
baseball players
black history
civil rights
D. H. Lawrence characters
diminutives
Discworld characters
Downton Abbey characters
ends in -ie
Characteristics
How people perceive this name
Overall Rating
74/100
classic80%
youthful65%
natural120%
wholesome120%
refined100%
Meaning & Etymology
Nellie is a diminutive form of the name Nell, which itself is often a short form of names containing the element 'nel', such as Eleanor or Helen. It carries connotations of light and brightness, derived from the Greek 'ele' meaning light. Nellie has been used affectionately to denote warmth and familiarity.
Etymology
Original Form:
Nell
Evolution:
From Nell to Nellie, adding the diminutive suffix '-ie' to denote affection or smallness.
Source:
Historical naming conventions and linguistic studies on diminutives.