NameChart

Neal

Boy name

Neal has been given to 55,305 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1959.

Meaning & origin /niːl/

Origin: Irish

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

03066119171.222k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

55,305

Peak year

1959 (1,222 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -46%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Neal

Neal Stephenson

American science fiction writer (born 1959)

Neal McDonough

American actor

Neal Maupay

French footballer (born 1996)

Neal Cassady

American writer (1926–1968)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Neal.

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