Nelle

Nelle is an English given name that originated as a short form of Eleanor or Ellen, both of which trace back ultimately to the Greek Helene, meaning torch or bright one, though some scholars connect Eleanor to a Germanic root meaning other or foreign combined with a word for army or warrior. The name gained particular cultural resonance through Nelle Harper Lee, the American author known for the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, who went by her middle name Harper professionally. Related forms include Nell, Nellie, and Nelly, as well as the longer names Eleanor and Ellen from which it derives.