Find out how popular the first name Neal has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Neal by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Neal is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Neal being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 95 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Neal.

The history of the first name Neal

The name Neal is an English given name derived from the Old English words "ne" meaning "near" and "hillan" meaning "hill". It was originally a surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or an elevated location.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in the form "Nealle" in the Domesday Book, which was a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned by King William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was in use among the Anglo-Saxons before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The earliest recorded use of Neal as a first name dates back to the late 13th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Neal of Radcliffe, a 14th-century English landowner and knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

In the 16th century, the name gained popularity among Irish families, particularly in County Mayo. The Irish form of the name, "Niall" or "Niallgus", is derived from the Gaelic words "nia" meaning "champion" and "gus" meaning "vigor" or "strength".

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Neal. These include Neal Cassidy (1926-1968), an American writer and famous figure in the Beat Generation literary movement; Neal Morse (born 1960), an American progressive rock musician; Neal Stephenson (born 1959), an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction; Neal Shusterman (born 1962), an American writer of children's and young adult literature; and Neal Peart (1952-2020), the acclaimed Canadian drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Neal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Neal, please contact us.

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