Neil
Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion". Most authorities cite the meaning of Neil in the context of a surname as meaning "champion".
- Irish
- Scottish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Neil
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion". Most authorities cite the meaning of Neil in the context of a surname as meaning "champion".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
- Scottish
- English
The Story of Neil
Neil first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 24 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1954: 1,959 births, good for #147 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #867 among baby boy names with 275 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 105K Neils have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Neil
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Neil. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Neil
Phonetically similar names — useful when Neil 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 Neil
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About the name Neil
Neil is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 105K births in the dataset. Neil's peak popularity came in 1954 when it ranked #146. Use the chart and map above to compare Neil's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1954 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- 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.