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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nels