Neil

This name comes from the Irish Niall, whose origin is disputed and may be connected to the Celtic root *nītu- meaning “fury” or “passion,” the related Old Irish word nia meaning “hero,” or possibly Old Irish nél meaning “cloud.” It was borne by several early Irish kings, especially Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century. In the early Middle Ages, Norse raiders and settlers in Ireland adopted the name as Njáll and carried it to England, Scotland, and Scandinavia, and it was also used by the Normans, who were of Scandinavian origin. A well-known modern bearer was the American astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930–2012), the first person to walk on the moon.

Neil rose from #865 to #851 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1954, with 1,959 births.