Neal

Neal: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “champion or cloud”
Origin: Irish
Say it: NEEL · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Anglicized form of Irish Niall. The original meaning is uncertain; common interpretations include champion or cloud.

Irish names English names American names Names meaning warrior Names meaning sky Classic names Short names

How popular is Neal?

202423.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Neal in 202477

2024 rank#1,991 boys

Peak year1952

Total US babies since 188055,217

Neal is steady now but far below its 1952 peak.

Names like Neal

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Liamresolute protector · Irish
Aidenlittle fire · Irish
Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
Ryanlittle king · Irish
Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
Connorlover of hounds · Irish
Kevinhandsome, gentle, kind · Irish
Braydendescendant of Bradán · Irish

Neal questions

What does the name Neal mean?

Neal means "champion or cloud". It comes from Irish. Anglicized form of Irish Niall. The original meaning is uncertain; common interpretations include champion or cloud.

Is Neal a boy or girl name?

Neal is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Neal?

77 US babies were named Neal in 2024. Its peak year was 1952.

How do you pronounce Neal?

Neal is usually pronounced NEEL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.