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Neal

“Champion (variously glossed as cloud, passion, or victory)” — Irish Gaelic origin

Boy's name · #1906 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Neal has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #198 (1952) · 55,048 babies named Neal all-time · 1 in 20,000 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 9,100 boys in Switzerland (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 8 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Neals

• Neal Stephenson — American science fiction writer (born 1959)
• Neal McDonough — American actor
• Neal Maupay — French footballer (born 1996)
• Neal Cassady — American writer (1926–1968)
• Neal Schon — American guitarist and composer

In stories & tradition

• Neal Caffrey — White Collar
• Neal Schweiber — Freaks and Geeks
• Neal Morris — Dadnapped

What Neals become

Among 424 notable people named Neal:

Business leaders appear 1.72× more often than among typical names — e.g. Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube since 2023.

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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