Neela
Neela is a feminine given name which may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Neela
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Neela is a feminine given name which may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Neela
Neela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1972, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 103 Neelas were born — ranking #1,988 that year. As of 2026, Neela ranks #3,062 for baby girls with 53 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 1K Neelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Neela
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Neela Marikkar , Chairperson of the Grant McCann Erickson, a leading communications group in Sri Lanka
- Neela Padmanabhan (born 1938), Tamil writer
- Neela Sathyalingam (1938–2017), Singaporean Tamil classical Indian dancer, choreographer
- Neela Satyanarayanan (1948–2020), Indian civil servant
- Sikkil Neela (born 1940), Indian flautist, one of the Sikkil Sisters
- Neela Wickramasinghe (1950–2022), Sri Lankan singer and musician
- Neela Winkelmann-Heyrovská (born 1969), Czech biologist, environmental activist and government official
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Neela
Phonetically similar names — useful when Neela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Neela
What does the name Neela mean?
How popular is Neela in 2026?
When was Neela most popular?
In which U.S. states is Neela most popular?
Is Neela a unisex name?
What names go well with Neela?
About the name Neela
Neela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Neela's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #1,988. Use the chart and map above to compare Neela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all girl 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.