Neil is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Neil means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Neil across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Neil has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Neil is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “champion, cloud”. from the name Niall.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 105,254 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,465 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7,356 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 207 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,666 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,392 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Neil per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1954 (1,964/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (520/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1978 (180/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (132/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (34/yr).
Neil has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1954, when it ranked #326 nationally (given to 1,964 babies that year).
Nellie · Nell · Noelle · Neal · Noel · Nelle · Newell · Noelia
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