ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 2021 First Year 2021 Last Year 2021 Peak Year #13458 Peak Rank 6 Total Count 1 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Neo What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Neo is a given name of the following notable people:Chua Jim Neo (1905–1980), Singaporean chef and cookbook writer Gen Neo, Singaporean singer-songwriter, producer and composer Neo Maema, South African football midfielder Neo Makama, Mosotho football striker Neo Masisi, First Lady of Botswana Neo Masithela, South African politician and businessman Neo Moroka, politician and businessman in… Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo%5F%28given%5Fname%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Tswana * Various 📖 ## The Story of Neo The earliest SSA record of Neo as a baby boy name dates back to 1990, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 247 newborns named Neo — #932 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 47% of all recorded Neos. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #932 among baby boy names with 247 births, rising sharply (+57% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Neos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Neo Phonetically similar names — useful when Neo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Nio](/nio) * [Nea](/nea) * [Neah](/neah) * Niue * [Naoh](/naoh) * Nohow * Nyo * Niu * Neea * Mnea * [Neia](/neia) * Nieuw Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Neo What does the name Neo mean? Neo is a given name of the following notable people:Chua Jim Neo (1905–1980), Singaporean chef and cookbook writer Gen Neo, Singaporean singer-songwriter, producer and composer Neo Maema, South African football midfielder Neo Makama, Mosotho football striker Neo Masisi, First Lady of Botswana Neo Masithela, South African politician and businessman Neo Moroka, politician and businessman in… What is the origin of the name Neo? Neo has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Tswana, Various. How popular is Neo in 2026? In 2026, Neo ranks #932 among boys' names in the U.S., with 247 babies given the name that year. When was Neo most popular? Neo reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #932 that year with 247 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Neo most popular? Neo has historically been most popular in Oregon, Massachusetts, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Neo. Is Neo a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Neo is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Neo? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Neo include Lathan, Paulo, Marilyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👧ElsiemaePeak #13458](/elsiemae)[👧NorriPeak #13458](/norri)[👧MasikaPeak #13458](/masika)[👧IlliaPeak #13458](/illia)[👧ZahidaPeak #13458](/zahida)[👧JavoniPeak #13458](/javoni)[👧EritreaPeak #13458](/eritrea)[👧SakhiPeak #13458](/sakhi) ## About the name Neo Neo is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1990 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Neo's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #932\. Use the chart and map above to compare Neo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "N" → ](/letter/n) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.