Nels

Nels is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:

• Nels Anderson (1889–1986), American sociologist
• Nels Andrews, American folk singer
• Nels Cline (born 1956), American guitarist and composer
• Nels Crutchfield (1911–1985), Canadian ice hockey player
• Nels F. S. Ferré (1908-1971), Swedish-born American theologian
• Nels Holman (1861–1946), American newspaper editor, businessman, and politician
• Nels Jacobson (born 1949), American artist and poster art historian
• Nels Johnson (1838-1915), Danish-born American clockmaker
• Nels C. Nelson (1875–1964), Danish-American archaeologist
• Nels Nelson (politician) (1917–1992), Canadian politician
• Nels Nelsen (1894–1943), Norwegian–Canadian ski jumper
• Nels David Nelson (1918–2003), American mathematician and logician
• Nels S.D. Peterson (born 1978), American lawyer and jurist
• Nels Pierson (born 1972), American politician
• Nels Podolsky (1923–2007), Canadian ice hockey player
• Nels Potter (1911–1990), American baseball player
• Nels Running (born 1941), retired United States Air Force Major General
• Nels H. Smith (1884–1976), American politician
• Nels J. Smith (born 1939), American politician
• Nels Stewart (1902–1957), Canadian ice hockey player
• Nels Swandal, American politician
• Nels Wold (1895–1918), United States Army soldier