Neli

Neli is a feminine given name used in Bulgarian and Slovene traditions, functioning as a short form of names such as Nelia, Cornelia, or Nelija. The root of Cornelia, the most historically prominent source, is the Latin family name Cornelius, itself of uncertain but possibly Etruscan origin, traditionally associated with the ancient Roman gens Cornelia. The name shares its base with the English and Slavic variant Nelly, as well as the fuller form Cornelia, which was borne by the celebrated Roman matron Cornelia Africana, mother of the Gracchi reformers.