How popular is the name Neil?

In 2025, 34 boys born in England and Wales were named Neil, ranking 914th. Its peak was 1996, with 132 births.

Is Neil a boy's or a girl's name?

Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 105,254 US babies named Neil since 1880 were boys.

When was Neil most popular?

1954 in the United States, when 1,959 babies were named Neil, its highest rank at 147th.

Is Neil also a surname?

Yes. Neil is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.

The first name Neil

A boy’s name from Irish.

Pronounced /niːl/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname

Meaning and origin

Irish origin

Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity

Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

In 2025, 34 boys were named Neil, making it the 914th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 132 births (#232).

1,491

babies named Neil, 1996–2025

#914

rank in 2025

1996

peak year

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Neil with other names.

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Neil at birth, 1880–2025

In 2025, 288 boys born in the United States were named Neil, the 851st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 1,959 were.

105,254

babies named Neil since 1880

#851

rank in 2025

1954

peak year

US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

Neil in other languages

Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

Нийл

Nijl

Bulgarian

Nil

Catalan

ნილ

nil

Georgian, also ნილი

Njáll

Icelandic

Нил

Russian, also Нейл

Nicknames and spellings

Other spellings and forms

Neal
Neale
Neill

Famous people named Neil

140 on Wikidata, most written-about first

Neil Armstrong
American astronaut and lunar explorer (1930–2012)
Neil Gaiman
English writer (born 1960)
Neil deGrasse Tyson
American astrophysicist and science communicator, born 1958
Neil Young
Canadian singer, songwriter and filmmaker (born 1945)
Neil Patrick Harris
American actor (born 1973)
Neil Diamond
American singer-songwriter, born 1941
Neil Simon
American playwright, writer, and academic (1927–2018)
Neil Postman
American writer and academic (1931-2003)
Neil Sedaka
American singer (1939–2026)
Neil Robertson
Australian professional snooker player, born 1982
Neil Gorsuch
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2017 (born 1967)
Neil Peart
Canadian-American drummer (1952–2020)

More Irish boys’ names

All 142 names of Irish origin

Questions

What does the name Neil mean?: Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.
What is the origin of the name Neil?: Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.
How popular is the name Neil?: In 2025, 34 boys born in England and Wales were named Neil, ranking 914th. Its peak was 1996, with 132 births.
Is Neil a boy's or a girl's name?: Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 105,254 US babies named Neil since 1880 were boys.
When was Neil most popular?: 1954 in the United States, when 1,959 babies were named Neil, its highest rank at 147th.
How do you pronounce Neil?: Neil is /niːl/, one syllable.
What are other spellings of Neil?: Neal, Neale and Neill.
Is Neil also a surname?: Yes. Neil is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.