Neil
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- NEEL
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #986 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #850 for boys
Neil is a boys' name of Irish origin. In 2025 it ranked 986th for boys in the UK (34 babies) and 850th for boys in the US (288 babies).
What does Neil mean?
Irish: anglicised form of Niall; meaning disputed
The anglicised form of Irish Niall; astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Neil a girl's or a boy's name?
Neil is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 34 boys in the UK and 288 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Neil in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #986among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 34about 1 in 8,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 32% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 34 boys in the UK were named Neil, making it the 986th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,105th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 219 boys.
Half of all the boys named Neil in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 52 boys in the UK were given Neil or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #666, up from #986 for this spelling alone.
- Neil 34
- Neel 18
Among boys in 2025, it was 914th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1934 (#95), 1944 (#80), 1954 (#46), 1964 (#22), 1974 (#22) and 1984 (#42).
Neil in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #986 |
| 2024 | 32 | #1,025 |
| 2023 | 36 | #950 |
| 2022 | 32 | #1,024 |
| 2021 | 36 | #931 |
| 2020 | 27 | #1,105 |
| 2019 | 32 | #994 |
| 2018 | 18 | #1,486 |
| 2017 | 50 | #755 |
| 2016 | 61 | #648 |
| 2015 | 33 | #982 |
| 2014 | 54 | #683 |
| 2013 | 43 | #811 |
| 2012 | 68 | #582 |
| 2011 | 85 | #483 |
| 2010 | 78 | #502 |
| 2009 | 74 | #521 |
| 2008 | 68 | #554 |
| 2007 | 65 | #544 |
| 2006 | 74 | #477 |
| 2005 | 71 | #451 |
| 2004 | 93 | #353 |
| 2003 | 94 | #328 |
| 2002 | 86 | #338 |
| 2001 | 122 | #265 |
| 2000 | 115 | #277 |
| 1999 | 134 | #257 |
| 1998 | 194 | #191 |
| 1997 | 219 | #177 |
| 1996 | 203 | #185 |
How popular is Neil in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #850among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 288about 1 in 5,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 288 boys in the US were named Neil, making it the 850th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 748th. Its busiest year was 1954, with 1,959 boys.
Half of all the boys named Neil in the US since 1880 were born between 1946 and 1981, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 401 boys in the US were given Neil or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #646, up from #850 for this spelling alone.
Neil in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 288 | #850 |
| 2024 | 280 | #862 |
| 2023 | 305 | #806 |
| 2022 | 330 | #765 |
| 2021 | 360 | #719 |
| 2020 | 324 | #748 |
| 2019 | 422 | #637 |
| 2018 | 427 | #624 |
| 2017 | 422 | #618 |
| 2016 | 425 | #629 |
| 2015 | 414 | #641 |
| 2014 | 397 | #656 |
| 2013 | 394 | #623 |
| 2012 | 391 | #620 |
| 2011 | 358 | #655 |
| 2010 | 342 | #686 |
| 2009 | 396 | #630 |
| 2008 | 327 | #712 |
| 2007 | 305 | #741 |
| 2006 | 398 | #605 |
| 2005 | 380 | #594 |
| 2004 | 338 | #624 |
| 2003 | 384 | #575 |
| 2002 | 381 | #574 |
| 2001 | 443 | #512 |
| 2000 | 462 | #494 |
| 1999 | 490 | #464 |
| 1998 | 489 | #460 |
| 1997 | 526 | #430 |
| 1996 | 579 | #404 |
| 1995 | 678 | #357 |
| 1994 | 704 | #348 |
| 1993 | 784 | #326 |
| 1992 | 791 | #322 |
| 1991 | 918 | #283 |
| 1990 | 1,028 | #261 |
| 1989 | 1,027 | #251 |
| 1988 | 999 | #240 |
| 1987 | 1,078 | #221 |
| 1986 | 1,152 | #211 |
| 1985 | 1,206 | #202 |
| 1984 | 1,125 | #205 |
| 1983 | 1,226 | #195 |
| 1982 | 1,342 | #188 |
| 1981 | 1,330 | #188 |
| 1980 | 1,348 | #181 |
| 1979 | 1,486 | #165 |
| 1978 | 1,527 | #159 |
| 1977 | 1,429 | #169 |
| 1976 | 1,354 | #173 |
| 1975 | 1,331 | #174 |
| 1974 | 1,323 | #175 |
| 1973 | 1,297 | #182 |
| 1972 | 1,304 | #185 |
| 1971 | 1,422 | #182 |
| 1970 | 1,567 | #178 |
| 1969 | 1,680 | #164 |
| 1968 | 1,049 | #218 |
| 1967 | 1,155 | #200 |
| 1966 | 1,227 | #198 |
| 1965 | 1,321 | #191 |
| 1964 | 1,527 | #182 |
| 1963 | 1,448 | #204 |
| 1962 | 1,291 | #214 |
| 1961 | 1,524 | #196 |
| 1960 | 1,446 | #199 |
| 1959 | 1,632 | #185 |
| 1958 | 1,711 | #174 |
| 1957 | 1,676 | #181 |
| 1956 | 1,747 | #171 |
| 1955 | 1,785 | #159 |
| 1954 | 1,959 | #147 |
| 1953 | 1,937 | #146 |
| 1952 | 1,904 | #147 |
| 1951 | 1,755 | #149 |
| 1950 | 1,609 | #156 |
| 1949 | 1,471 | #161 |
| 1948 | 1,406 | #165 |
| 1947 | 1,460 | #162 |
| 1946 | 1,343 | #161 |
| 1945 | 1,210 | #157 |
| 1944 | 1,140 | #161 |
| 1943 | 1,155 | #162 |
| 1942 | 1,101 | #160 |
| 1941 | 1,074 | #161 |
| 1940 | 1,067 | #156 |
| 1939 | 1,068 | #152 |
| 1938 | 1,066 | #152 |
| 1937 | 969 | #157 |
| 1936 | 913 | #158 |
| 1935 | 858 | #167 |
| 1934 | 953 | #153 |
| 1933 | 997 | #149 |
| 1932 | 934 | #161 |
| 1931 | 881 | #165 |
| 1930 | 827 | #174 |
| 1929 | 696 | #195 |
| 1928 | 696 | #198 |
| 1927 | 609 | #221 |
| 1926 | 600 | #225 |
| 1925 | 563 | #234 |
| 1924 | 541 | #248 |
| 1923 | 508 | #248 |
| 1922 | 489 | #255 |
| 1921 | 497 | #251 |
| 1920 | 489 | #247 |
| 1919 | 366 | #275 |
| 1918 | 359 | #285 |
| 1917 | 356 | #270 |
| 1916 | 375 | #256 |
| 1915 | 289 | #296 |
| 1914 | 232 | #293 |
| 1913 | 184 | #293 |
| 1912 | 151 | #290 |
| 1911 | 58 | #363 |
| 1910 | 54 | #337 |
| 1909 | 43 | #357 |
| 1908 | 55 | #293 |
| 1907 | 42 | #328 |
| 1906 | 37 | #342 |
| 1905 | 42 | #311 |
| 1904 | 41 | #306 |
| 1903 | 28 | #360 |
| 1902 | 28 | #373 |
| 1901 | 32 | #314 |
| 1900 | 50 | #292 |
| 1899 | 26 | #355 |
| 1898 | 35 | #324 |
| 1897 | 26 | #367 |
| 1896 | 47 | #262 |
| 1895 | 31 | #329 |
| 1894 | 30 | #322 |
| 1893 | 28 | #330 |
| 1892 | 36 | #309 |
| 1891 | 25 | #340 |
| 1890 | 29 | #322 |
| 1889 | 28 | #332 |
| 1888 | 23 | #387 |
| 1887 | 21 | #356 |
| 1886 | 24 | #348 |
| 1885 | 26 | #332 |
| 1884 | 23 | #369 |
| 1883 | 23 | #346 |
| 1882 | 19 | #416 |
| 1881 | 6 | #780 |
| 1880 | 24 | #350 |
Names like Neil
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Kevin Conn Ryan Brian Regan Michael David Daniel Dean Keegan James Conan
Other spellings of Neil
Names related to Neil
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Ronan Connor Declan Casey Kennedy
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Neil: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/neil, updated 20 October 2026.