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.
A diminutive form of the English name Nigel, derived from the Irish Niall meaning "champion".
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.
Year | Male Count | Female Count |
---|---|---|
2023 | 95 | 0 |
2022 | 108 | 0 |
2021 | 110 | 0 |
2020 | 104 | 0 |
2019 | 118 | 0 |
2018 | 102 | 0 |
2017 | 131 | 0 |
2016 | 152 | 0 |
2015 | 151 | 0 |
2014 | 120 | 0 |
2013 | 99 | 0 |
2012 | 105 | 0 |
2011 | 97 | 0 |
2010 | 114 | 0 |
2009 | 113 | 0 |
2008 | 111 | 0 |
2007 | 116 | 0 |
2006 | 138 | 0 |
2005 | 131 | 0 |
2004 | 111 | 0 |
2003 | 129 | 0 |
2002 | 169 | 0 |
2001 | 172 | 0 |
2000 | 178 | 0 |
1999 | 186 | 0 |
1998 | 209 | 0 |
1997 | 246 | 0 |
1996 | 262 | 0 |
1995 | 258 | 0 |
1994 | 294 | 0 |
1993 | 384 | 0 |
1992 | 396 | 0 |
1991 | 444 | 0 |
1990 | 463 | 0 |
1989 | 522 | 0 |
1988 | 459 | 0 |
1987 | 456 | 0 |
1986 | 543 | 5 |
1985 | 562 | 0 |
1984 | 565 | 0 |
1983 | 573 | 5 |
1982 | 556 | 0 |
1981 | 597 | 0 |
1980 | 592 | 0 |
1979 | 636 | 6 |
1978 | 583 | 0 |
1977 | 624 | 0 |
1976 | 550 | 5 |
1975 | 648 | 0 |
1974 | 583 | 7 |
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.
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.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/first-names/neal-meaning-and-history/">Neal first name popularity, history and meaning</a>
"Neal first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 7, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/neal-meaning-and-history/.
"Neal first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/neal-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 7 September, 2024
Neal first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/neal-meaning-and-history/.
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.