Meaning:
Its source is Eleanor, an English name meaning "Compassion."
Popularity:
The name Nelly ranked 1009th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.
Associations:
''Aunt Nelly'' is a rhyming slang term for belly.
The phrase ''And did he marry poor, blind Nell?'' comes from a ballad written at the turn of the century and indicates skepticism or disbelief.
A ''nervous Nellie'' is an anxious person.