Total births
595
Girls' name · since 1938
Neala
Neala has 595 recorded births since 1938 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #10387
- among girls today
- 595
- born since 1938
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Neala is the #10387 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 595 recorded since 1938.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neala has been recorded 595 times among girls since 1938, currently ranked #10387 nationally and more common than 41% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1938 to 2025.
- #10387 among girls today
- 595 born since 1938
- 2010s peak decade
- 41% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Neala is currently the #10387 girls' name in America, more common than 41% of girls - 595 born since 1938, peaking in the 2010s.
- #10387
- among girls today
- 595
- born since 1938
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other girls
Neala vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#10387
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 41% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Neala was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
38 babies were named Neala in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Neala compares
595 Top 41% higher than 59% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Neala's all-time total is 56% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Neala | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 595 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 38 | 48 | 19,840 |
Neala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Neala splits its recorded history at 1990: 74% of all births land in the more recent half, 26% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1938 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 38 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Neala at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#10,387
Active since
1938
Neala popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1938–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 38
- Annual births at peak, across 88 years of records
Neala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Neala's strongest decade.
229 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Neala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 43
1940s
43 births
- 1950s 49
1950s
49 births
- 1960s 20
1960s
20 births
- 1970s 28
1970s
28 births
- 1980s 12
1980s
12 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s
2000s
150 births
- 2010s
2010s
229 births
- 2020s 53
2020s
53 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 229 births (38% of all-time use).
How Neala compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Neala's total volume
Neala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Neala by state
Where Neala concentrates geographically, total births since 1938
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 15 | 2.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 12 | 2.0% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.8% |
California share of Neala's total US births 2.5%
Even split
15 of 595 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Neala? ▼
595 babies have been named Neala since 1938. It currently ranks #10387 among girls. The peak year was 2009 with 38 births.
When was Neala most popular? ▼
Neala was most popular in the 2010s decade with 229 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Neala most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Neala are California (15 births), New York (12 births), North Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name Neala been used? ▼
Records for Neala go back to 1938, giving 88 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Neala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nealie, Neah, Nea, Nealy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Neala's data
- Neala's decade-level peak was the 2010s (229 total births); usage has since declined to 53 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nealas (15 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Neala
Nearby Names Like Neala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Neala
Nealie Girl
776 births
Neah Girl
#8594 554 births
Nea Girl
#8500 417 births
Nealy Girl
296 births
Neal Girl
257 births
Compare Neala side by side: Neala vs Nealie Neala vs Neah Neala vs Nea
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Neala
Nereida #10386
3,697 births · Peak 1981
Karalyn #10388
1,601 births · Peak 1996
Shelbie #10385
5,580 births · Peak 1992
Paulett #10389
443 births · Peak 1949
Daneen #10384
1,397 births · Peak 1964
Rosalita #10390
325 births · Peak 1944
Graceann #10383
1,032 births · Peak 2008
Bambi #10391
5,261 births · Peak 1979
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1938–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Neala: #10387 Girls' Name - 595 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/neala. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Neala draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.