Nels vs Nils

Baby Name Comparison — 2026

Nels

Boy #5,445 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"champion, cloud"

Origin: Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian

Scandinavian Swedish Norwegian Danish American

✓ All Clear

Boy #4,894 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"victory of the people"

Origin: Greek (Nikolaos)

Swedish Norwegian Danish Finnish Germanic

✓ All Clear

Nels Rank #5,445

Nils Rank #4,894

Nils is more popular, ranked #4894 vs #5445 for Nels.

Is Nels or Nils more popular?

Nils is more popular, ranked #4894 compared to Nels at #5445 in the United States.

What do Nels and Nils mean?

Nels means "champion, cloud" (Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian origin). Nils means "victory of the people" (Greek (Nikolaos) origin).

Are Nels and Nils boy or girl names?

Nels is primarily a boy name. Nils is primarily a boy name.