2000
#333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 83,849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 31.08
Common Last name
Neal
An Irish surname derived from Ó Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name of Irish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 100,906 Americans carry the last name Neal. That puts it at #348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 29.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,397 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Neal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
101K
1 in 3,397
Census rank
#348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
29.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
88K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 87,995 bearers of the surname Neal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 29.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neal, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neal
The surname Neal has its origins in the British Isles, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "niwe," meaning "new," which suggests that the name may have been given to someone who had recently settled in a new area or who had newly acquired land.
One of the earliest known references to the name Neal can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1181, where it appears as "Niweman." This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during the Middle Ages, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and scribal interpretations.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the surname Neal. However, it does record several individuals with the first name Nigel, which shares a similar linguistic root and may have contributed to the development of the Neal surname.
In the 13th century, the surname Neal appears in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this era was Sir Ralph Neal, a wealthy landowner and knight who lived in Somerset in the late 13th century.
As the centuries progressed, the Neal surname continued to spread across the British Isles, with various spellings emerging, such as Neile, Neale, and Niel. In the 16th century, a prominent individual named Thomas Neale (c. 1519-1590) served as the Dean of Westminster Abbey and held influential positions within the Church of England.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable Neals, including Sir Paul Neale (c. 1613-1686), a successful merchant and philanthropist who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1676. Another prominent figure was Thomas Neal (1637-1714), a Puritan minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and historical topics.
In the 18th century, the Neal surname gained further recognition with individuals like Daniel Neal (1678-1743), a historian and author who authored a comprehensive history of the Puritans. Additionally, Thomas Neal (1768-1848), a renowned English boxer and pugilist, made a significant impact in the world of sports during this era.
As the British Empire expanded, the Neal surname traveled to various parts of the world, including North America, where it continued to flourish. One notable figure was John Neal (1793-1876), an American novelist, critic, and writer who played a prominent role in the early literary scene of the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neal
Among Census respondents with the surname Neal, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Neal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Neal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.2% · 52,109
- Black or African American31.3% · 27,515
- Two or more races5.0% · 4,367
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 2,887
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 585
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 532
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neal
Neal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 91,694
+7,845 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 31.08
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 87,995
-3,699 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 29.44
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #333 | 83,849 | 31.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #337 | 91,694 | 31.08 | +7,845 bearers (+9.4%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #348 | 87,995 | 29.44 | -3,699 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 11 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Neal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #337 | #348 | -3.3% |
| Count | 91,694 | 87,995 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 31.08 | 29.44 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neal bearers went from 91,694 to 87,995 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #337 to #348.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Neal
FAQ
Neal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neal?
Name Census estimates that about 100,906 living Americans carry the surname Neal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,397 residents.
How common is Neal?
Neal ranks #348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 29.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 29 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 87,995 people with the surname Neal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (100,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 29.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 29.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 29 of them to have the surname Neal.
Has Neal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neal went from 91,694 recorded bearers to 87,995. That is a decrease of 3,699 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #337 to #348.
What does the Census say about the background of Neal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neal, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Neal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.2% (52,109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.2%), Black (31.3%), Two or More Races (5.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Neal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Neal mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name of Irish origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Neal (29.44 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Neal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.