# Neal (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/neal/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic] derived from Niall.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 91,694 |
| US rank (2010) | 337 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 3,367 people |
| Change since 2000 | +9.4% (83,849 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /niːl/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Neals |

## Who carries it

Share of people named Neal in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 62% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 32% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Neal in the United States and the United Kingdom.

## People named Neal

- Patricia Neal, American stage and film actress (1926-2010)
- Richard Neal, American politician (born 1949)
- Diane Neal, American actress
- Elise Neal, American actress
- Gary Neal, American basketball player and coach
- Lia Neal, American swimmer, Olympic athlete, world champion
- Tom Neal, American actor (1914–1972)
- Edwin Neal, American actor
- John Neal, American writer (1793–1876)
- Jalen Neal, American soccer player
- Lloyd Neal, American professional basketball player born in Talbotton, Georgia
- Jesse Neal, American professional wrestler

and 8 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Noel, Neely, Neil, Neill, Nall, Neel, Nail, Nealy, Neale, Nell, Nale, Nealey.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.