Boy name
Neil
Neil holds the #850 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 288 newborn boys in a single year. The name has been cooling off, slipping from #748 in 2020 to #850 today. Its strongest year on record was 1953 (#146 nationally, 1,937 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in New Jersey (#452 there in 2025).
Rankings
2025 rank
#850
among boy names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#146
in 1953 (1950s)
Babies in 2025
288
boys named Neil
Neil popularity, 1880–2025
Where Neil is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Utah (#473), Washington (#474), New Jersey (#452)
Uniqueness score
50/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind
Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Neil in the most recent year of SSA data.
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