Neil

Neil: name meaning, origin & popularity

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

Anglicized form of Irish Niall. The original meaning of Niall is uncertain, but 'champion' is a common traditional interpretation.

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How popular is Neil?

202484.0 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 Neil in 2024278

2024 rank#863 boys

Peak year1953

Total US babies since 1880104,966

Neil is steady now but far below its 1953 peak.

Names like Neil

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

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

Neil questions

What does the name Neil mean?

Neil means "champion". It comes from Irish. Anglicized form of Irish Niall. The original meaning of Niall is uncertain, but 'champion' is a common traditional interpretation.

Is Neil a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Neil?

278 US babies were named Neil in 2024. Its peak year was 1953.

How do you pronounce Neil?

Neil 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.