Skip to main content
Name Biscuit

Unisex name

Nelly

Nelly ranks #754 out of 11,202 cat names in our data (the #1 cat name is Luna). Across all 1 place, 8 cats carry the name. It's also a dog name: #287 among girl dog names.
Nelly's popularity trend

Nelly's share of cats, year by year — or toggle to its yearly rank. Peak year by share: 2019.

0.02%0.04%0.06%20122014201620182019
Cats in our data
8
across 1 place
Popularity rank
#754
of 11,202 cat names
5-year rank move
+186
2014 → 2019
Gender split
69% female
69% female31% male

Gender split comes from 13 US shelter cats — the one source in our data that records a cat's sex.

What does Nelly mean?
/nɛli/2 syllables

Nelly began as an affectionate pet form of names like Helen, Eleanor, and Ellen, names generally traced to the Greek Helene, often linked to a root meaning "torch" or "light," though scholars debate the exact origin.

It has an old-fashioned sweetness — a cozy, homey name for a pet who feels like a warm and familiar presence.

Etymology & pronunciation from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Where Nelly shows up

Cats named Nelly per place, against that place's total.

PlaceShare
TorontoON, CA0.04%

Cat names like Nelly

JellyNellieNelsonNellaMollyHollyLillyBillyTillySallyDollyWally