Neel
About Neel
A truly culture crossing name, Neel can be considered: a Sanskrit gemstone with a bright blue hue; an alternative, phonetic spelling of the Scottish Neil, ultimately from the cloudy Irish Niall; an Indian form of Nil, in reference to the River Nile; and a Dutch short form of Cornelius meaning "horn".
It would be pronounced as NEEL in most cases, though NEHL would be heard in Dutch.
Pronounced NEEL.
As of October 2026, Neel ranked #1581 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1216 in 2009.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,697 | 90 | 46.9 |
| 2015 | #1,663 | 95 | 49.6 |
| 2016 | #1,634 | 98 | 51.6 |
| 2017 | #1,474 | 115 | 62.1 |
| 2018 | #1,789 | 86 | 47.4 |
| 2019 | #1,860 | 81 | 45.1 |
| 2020 | #1,810 | 83 | 48.1 |
| 2021 | #1,733 | 94 | 53.7 |
| 2022 | #1,672 | 103 | 59 |
| 2023 | #2,167 | 67 | 39.2 |
| 2024 | #1,854 | 87 | 50.5 |
| 2025 | #1,581 | 108 | 63.2 |
World rankings
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Neel on lists
Neel in pop culture
- Neel of Lovari
character in "Kronos Chronicles"