Friel
Friel is a surname, and may refer to
Meaning & Origin of Friel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Friel is a surname, and may refer to
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Friel
Friel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1918, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 5 Friels were born — ranking #4,179 that year. As of 2026, Friel ranks #4,179 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Friels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Friel
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Aisling Friel (born 1980s)
- Anna Friel (born 1976), British actress
- Arthur O. Friel (1887–1959), writer
- Benny Friel (1941–2010), Scottish footballer
- Bill Friel (1876–1959), American baseball player
- Brian Friel (1929–2015), Northern Ireland playwright and director
- Courtney Friel (born 1980), American television presenter
- Dan Friel (1860–1911), Scottish footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Friel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Friel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Freel
- Frail
- Frill
- Fraile
- Fril
- Ferule
- Free
- Feel
- Freely
- Furry
- Frie
- Furl
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Friel
What does the name Friel mean?
How popular is Friel in 2026?
When was Friel most popular?
Is Friel a unisex name?
What names go well with Friel?
About the name Friel
Friel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Friel's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #4,179. Use the chart and map above to compare Friel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.