Abigail vs Nelly
Abigail and Nellycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Abigail was ranked #73 and Nelly #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Nelly #476 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Nelly #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Nelly #432 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #273 and Nelly #194 among girls in Norway.
Abigail and Nelly over time
Abigail and Nelly appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nelly in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Nelly in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1984–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Nelly in 19.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #246 in 2022, Nelly #132 in 2019.
The order changed in 2007: Nelly moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #556 and #590; by 2007 that had become #463 and #410.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #273, Nelly #194.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nelly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2004, Nelly #232 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Nelly #432.
Republic of Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2007–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Nelly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Nelly #474 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Nelly #608.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Nelly |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Norway · Girls #194 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Nelly.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Nelly
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #206 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #132 among girls in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #194 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls