Boys' name · since 1918
Neel
Neel has 3,392 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,337 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,576 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,392
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Neel is the #1576 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,392 recorded since 1918.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neel has been recorded 3,392 times among boys since 1918, currently ranked #1576 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, 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 1918 to 2025.
- #2,337 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,576 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,392 born since 1918
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Neel ranks #2,337 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,576 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,392 born since 1918, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,337 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,576 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,392
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
Neel's 3,392 recorded births place it above 94.86% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
16 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Neel compares
3,392 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Neel's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Neel | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,392 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 148 | 34 | 22,252 |
Neel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Neel's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1919, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2009 peak of 148, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Neel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 148
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Neel by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (964 births, 28% of the file).
2010s was Neel's strongest decade.
964 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Neel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 13
1910s
13 births
- 1920s 16
1920s
16 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 14
1950s
14 births
- 1960s 22
1960s
22 births
- 1970s 119
1970s
119 births
- 1980s 289
1980s
289 births
- 1990s
1990s
456 births
- 2000s
2000s
947 births
- 2010s
2010s
964 births
- 2020s
2020s
542 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 964 births (28% of all-time use).
How Neel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Neel's total volume
Neel by state
Where Neel concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 575 | 17.0% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 327 | 9.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 239 | 7.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 200 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 107 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Washington | | 70 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 59 | 1.7% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 52 | 1.5% |
575 of 3,392 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Neel appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Neel's data
- Neel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (964 total births) through the 2020s (542) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Neels (575 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Neel
Nearby Names Like Neel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Neel
Compare Neel side by side: Neel vs Neev Neel vs Neeko Neel vs Neely
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Neel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Neel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~107 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Neel 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 August 2026.