Neal

Neal - A very unique male name

Neal appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #340. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Neal and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Neal? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Neal. The baby boy name Neal was given to 18 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2555 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 81,460 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Neal peaked in popularity 74 years ago in 1952 on position 198.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Neal, 1-5?

Neal is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Neal is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,185 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,028.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Neal is where you live.

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Neal origin and meaning

Irish / Gaelic — variant of Neil

Uncertain — from Irish Niall, whose meaning is disputed, often given as 'champion' or 'cloud'

Neal is a spelling variant of Neil, from the Irish name Niall borne by early Irish kings. Niall's own derivation is genuinely disputed, so Neal is honestly marked uncertain. It peaked in 1959 and has fallen a long way since, giving it a quiet, mid-century feel.

Origin uncertain

Neal is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Neal, pop culture references for the name Neal and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Neal

We've found the following names that sound similar to Neal, sorted by popularity.

Neil / Noel / Neel / Nile / Nael / Niall / Newell / Nyle / Nihal / Nayel /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Neal

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Neal a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Neal?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

NEEL · /nil/

Around the world

• Niall (Irish) — The original Irish form

Spellings and nicknames

• Neil — The more common spelling
• Niall — The Irish form in use as a given name

Famous bearers

• Neal Stephenson — Novelist known for Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon (b. 1959) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Neal is short, plain and unfussy, with Irish roots and a literary namesake.

Worth knowing

• It will frequently be spelled Neil, and it can feel dated to the mid-1900s