What is Nell short for?

[DangerMousey]

Really like the name Nell for a girl but wonder if it's usually a NN for something longer?

Eleanor

Eleanor I think. I like Nell as a name in its own right though - it was on my girls name list

Cornelia?

would have said Eleanor too.

Or Ellen or Helen (they're all from the same greek name originally)

Originally Penelope I think, but also good for Cornelia and loads of other names

Helen

I was told it was Ellen/Helen

Back in the 'old days' people used to say mine

'mine Edward' became Ned
'mine Ann' became Nan and then Nancy

thus 'mine Helen' became Nell

Don't know if its true!

Elizabeth...
Counter intuitive, but true...

My best friend has an Elizabeth they call Nell. (Or, more often Moo...)

HTH

db
xx

I went to school with someone called Chanelle, which she shortened to Nell

It's short for Helen

I always thought it was Elizabeth too, but I know a Nell (4) who's just Nell.

Whoops posted too soon. My godmother was Nellie, christened Helen, she told me it was because Helen backwards was Neleh I.e Nellie

I think you could just have Nell if you wanted.

My dd has a 'nickname' as her official name as I didnt want to give her a name I would never ever use.

My first thought was Elizabeth, but Eleanor/Helen makes sense too.

www.behindthename.com/name/nell

I thought Helen too.

Eleanor ... More often seen shprtened to Nelly though, then nn comes from that.

Ellen.

My name is Helen, no one has ever called me Nell.

Its Ellen

My cousin's called Nell by her parents... and Eleanor (her actual name) by everyone else!

Fenella?

It's short for Helen / Ellen / Eleanor. I think because it rhymes with Hel / El, same reason as Bob is a nn for Robert.

Nell Gwyn's real name was Elinor.

I really like Nell, and would use it for Eleanor or Helena personally.