Neel

Neel - A very unique male name

Neel appeared on the charts for the first time in 1981 on position #2418. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Neel and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Neel? 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 Neel. The baby boy name Neel was given to 76 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1435 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 19,293 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Neel peaked in popularity 17 years ago in 2009 on position 1148.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Neel, 1-5?

Neel is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Neel is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #637 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,390.

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 Neel is where you live.

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Neel origin and meaning

Indian (Sanskrit)

From Sanskrit nila, 'dark blue, sapphire blue' — a name associated with Krishna and Shiva, both depicted blue

Neel is the blue name of Sanskrit tradition, used across India for boys. In the US data since 1981 it has risen modestly, and it must be kept distinct from the Irish Neil, an unrelated name it resembles.

Attested etymology

Neel is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

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

Similar to Neel

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

Neil / Neal / Noel / 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 Neel

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 Neel 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 Neel?

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

• Neel (Hindi) — Used as-is — the word for blue and a divine epithet

Spellings and nicknames

• Neil — A different, Irish name with the same sound
• Nil — A shorter transliteration of the same Sanskrit word

Famous bearers

• Neel Sethi — American actor who played Mowgli in Disney's The Jungle Book (b. 2003) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

One syllable with a sacred colour inside it — compact, meaningful and easy in English too.

Worth knowing

• Identical in sound to Neil, an unrelated Irish name; the double E always needs spelling.