Surname Nell - Meaning and Origin
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Nell: What does the surname Nell mean?
The surname Nell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the feminine personal name Eleanor or Ellen, which originally came from the Greek "Helen". The name Helen means ‘light, torch, or bright’. It also has a bit of Irish origin, where it translates to ‘stranger or foreigner.’ It is also linked to the Dutch and German personal name, ‘Nelle’, which is a diminutive of Arnold, meaning the ‘eagle rules’. In some cases, it could have been a nickname deriving from the Middle English 'nel(le)', meaning 'the mouth of a river'. Hence, the meaning of Nell can vary among different cultures and languages.
Order DNA origin analysisNell: Where does the name Nell come from?
The last name Nell is quite common in the United States and other English-speaking countries today. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nell ranks as the 7,940th most common surname in the United States and the 10,397th most popular surname overall. It is most common in the South, especially in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
In the United Kingdom, according to the Office of National Statistics, Nell is the 3,221th most common surname and is particularly common in Yorkshire and London.
Nell is also a popular name in Scandinavia. In Norway and Denmark, it is the 73rd and 82nd most common surname, respectively. It is also common in Germany and Austria.
The surname Nell is thought to have originally been derived from names beginning with the old Germanic element "Nord", meaning "north". It may also be derived from the Old English personal name "Nuna", which is itself derived from the Latin word for "nun".
Variations of the surname Nell
The surname Nell has many surnames, spelling variations, and variants that are derived from the same root name.
The most common forms of Nell are Henle, Naill, Naile, Neil, Niall, Neal, Noell, Noele, Nelles, Nello, Nel, and Neele.
In Yiddish, the name Nell is a shortened form of the name Eleazar or Elazar, which is a form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, meaning “God is my help.”
In French, the surname is spelled Neuill, Neul, Neuille, Neulle, Neulat, or Neaux.
In German, the surname is spelled Henle, Hennel, Noelle, Nole, Nelle, Nolle, Neckel or his source Nekel.
In Swedish, the name is spelled Nille, Nole, Noll, and Nolle.
In Polish, the name is spelled Niall, Niel, and Niell.
In Spanish, the surname is spelled Nell or Nelle.
In Greek, the name is spelled Nele.
In Italian, the name can be spelled Nall, Neil, Niel, Nella, Nello, Nelli or Nil.
In Dutch, the name is spelled Noelle, Noelman, Nolys, and Nelsen.
In Irish, the name can be spelled Niall, Neal, Neel, or Nello.
In Gaelic, the name is spelled Niall or Neill.
The many variations, spellings, and this surname of Nell are all related, as they are all derived from the same root name.
Famous people with the name Nell
- Rick Nell: British comedian
- Bjorn Nell: Dutch cyclist
- Mickey Nell: American TV news anchor
- Olivier Nell: French artist
- Steve Nell: South African cricketer
- Peter Nell: Swedish ice hockey player
- Olle Nell: Swedish golfer
- Günther Nell: German professor
- Wlodzimierz Nell: Polish athlete
- Derek Nell: American actor
- Ashlee Nellis: American professor
- Ruth Nell: American voiceover artist
- Neil Nell: South African field hockey player
- Melissa Nell: Canadian singer and songwriter
- Kristoff Nell: Belgian cyclist
- Magdalena Nell: Swedish harpist
- Robyn Nell: British actress
- Kelly Nell: American beauty queen
- Thea Nell: Dutch director and screenplay writer
- Marten Nell: Dutch painter