boy's name
Neil
NEEL
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 123,597
the United States
#850
2025 births
Neil means champion or cloud, from Irish, and it traveled to Iceland with the Vikings and back to England with the Normans — so the English Neil arrived by way of Scandinavia and France.
- Neil is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1954, when 1,964 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 11,512 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Neil over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 217 |
| 1890s | 313 |
| 1900s | 398 |
| 1910s | 2,437 |
| 1920s | 5,739 |
| 1930s | 9,514 |
| 1940s | 12,444 |
| 1950s | 17,773 |
| 1960s | 13,690 |
| 1970s | 14,118 |
| 1980s | 11,926 |
| 1990s | 6,992 |
| 2000s | 3,814 |
| 2010s | 3,992 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,887 |
What Neil means
Neil is variously given as champion, passionate or cloud. The Irish Niall has no settled derivation, and the champion reading is the most commonly offered rather than the established one.
Where Neil comes from
Neil is the Irish Niall, whose meaning is not settled — champion, passionate and cloud are all proposed. Niall of the Nine Hostages was a fifth-century high king, and the Uí Néill dynasty descended from him dominated Ireland for centuries, giving the surname O'Neill. Norse raiders took the name to Iceland as Njáll, where it heads Njáls saga; from there it entered Norman French as Nel and returned to England with the Conquest. So the English form completed a circuit through two other languages before coming home.
Neil in use
Neil peaked in the United States in 1954, when 1,964 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 391st in Ireland on 10 births, 660th in France on 70, 850th in the United States on 288 and 927th in England and Wales on 34, across 123,597 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. France ranking an Irish name above both English-speaking markets is the surprise here.
How popular is Neil?
In 2025, Neil was given to 288 babies in the United States, ranking #850 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Neil is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Neil is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Neïl | Neïl is a rare spelling of Neil, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 105 times, mostly in France. | 105 |
Names that peaked alongside Neil
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Neil also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Neil over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Neil in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Niel
Sibling names for Neil
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Neil — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Neil
What does the name Neil mean?
Not settled. Champion, passionate and cloud are all proposed for the Irish Niall.
Is Neil the same as Niall?
Yes — Niall is the Irish form, Neil the anglicization.
How did an Irish name reach England?
Norse raiders took it to Iceland, it passed into Norman French, and returned with the Conquest.
How popular is Neil?
391st in Ireland and 850th in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Neil a girl's or a boy's name?
Neil is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Neil?
Neil has 1 syllable.
Is Neil a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Neil currently ranks #391 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.