Neil
Boy name · Celtic · Gaelic · Irish · Scottish
Meaningchampion · Irish
- US rank
- #850
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #146 in 1953
288 babies were named Neil in the US in 2025. It has dropped 102 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1916–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Neil you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Neil
Neil Gaiman
English writer (born 1960)
Choose Neil and your child shares a first name with Neil Gaiman, an English writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Neil, like who?” Neil Gaiman's Wikipedia article is available in 82 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Neil Gaiman on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Kyle Cassidy, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,931 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Neil, 288 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Neil would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryNeil has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Neils, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1953, when it ranked #146. Today it's #850, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendNeil has slipped 102 places over the last five years and now sits at #850. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedNeil is most popular in New Jersey, where it ranks #452, followed by Utah (#473) and Washington (#474). It's in the top 1,000 in 18 states.
- MeaningIn Irish, Neil means “champion”. Our records link it to Celtic, Gaelic and Irish roots.
About the name Neil
Neil is a boy name of Celtic, Gaelic and Irish origin meaning “champion”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with N and ending in “-eil”. US birth records list Neil for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1953, when it ranked #146 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #850, with 288 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesGaelic namesIrish namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 2.9 | 341,880 girls |
| 1920s | 4.3 | 233,100 girls |
| 1930s | 4.5 | 222,717 girls |
| 1940s | 1.2 | 862,069 girls |
| 1950s | 3.0 | 332,226 girls |
| 1960s | 1.3 | 787,402 girls |
| 1970s | 5.0 | 199,203 girls |
| 1980s | 5.5 | 183,486 girls |
| 1990s | 2.6 | 384,615 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 197 | 5,068 boys |
| 1890s | 273 | 3,664 boys |
| 1900s | 292 | 3,429 boys |
| 1910s | 347 | 2,879 boys |
| 1920s | 516 | 1,937 boys |
| 1930s | 896 | 1,116 boys |
| 1940s | 839 | 1,192 boys |
| 1950s | 879 | 1,137 boys |
| 1960s | 710 | 1,408 boys |
| 1970s | 850 | 1,176 boys |
| 1980s | 644 | 1,554 boys |
| 1990s | 357 | 2,804 boys |
| 2000s | 191 | 5,222 boys |
| 2010s | 213 | 4,703 boys |
| 2020s | 182 | 5,495 boys |
Other spellings of Neil
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
Questions about the name Neil
What does the name Neil mean?
Neil means “champion” in Irish.
What is the origin of the name Neil?
Neil has Celtic, Gaelic, Irish, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Neil a boy or girl name?
Neil is a boy name.
How popular is the name Neil?
Neil ranked #850 for US boys in 2025, given to 288 babies. Its best year was 1953 (#146).