Nelson
An English surname that turned into a first name, meaning "son of Neil". In Poland it stays rare enough that most people have never met one, and it goes only to boys.
Nelson Pronunciation
Nelson is pronounced NEL-son (/ˈnɛlsɔn/).
What Nelson means
Where Nelson comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Nelson began as a surname before it settled onto anyone's first name. Its meaning is plain: son of Neil. The name Neil traces back to the Gaelic Niall, and the Germanic pattern of building a name from the father's name gives Nelson its shape. So the son of Neil became, in time, a name a child could wear from birth.
The most famous bearer sent the name outward. Horatio Nelson, the British admiral who died at Trafalgar in 1805, made the surname a household word, and English families began passing it forward as a given name. Later, Nelson Mandela carried it into a different century and a different struggle.
In Poland the name stays rare. A boy named Nelson stands out on a school register, his single foreign name among the Piotrs and Jakubs.
The English cultural roots are clear, and the meaning holds firm. Nelson: syn Neila, the son of Neil.
How many people are named Nelson
1 in 78768 men in Poland is named Nelson. 271 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #1850 among male names.
Nelson's popularity over time
Fewer than 2 boys were given the name in 2025. It has been climbing since 2025.
Where Nelson is most popular
Nelson is most popular in Pomeranian, 1367% above the national average (2 boys born 2019–2025).
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Pomeranian2 boys born+1367%
Nelson as a middle name
Nelson is a first name for 271 men in Poland and a middle name for another 63, an 81/19 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 922nd, between Morgan (63) and Adnan (62).
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#920 Mieczyslaw63
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#921 Morgan63
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#922 Nelson63
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#923 Adnan62
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#924 Connor62