Given name & surname
Neill
“the champion”
In English use, Neill has an alternative spelling in Neil. One interpretation is “the champion.” Its derivation is not certain.
Original IrishNiall
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Neill has an alternative spelling in Neil. One interpretation is “the champion.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Neill developed from Niall.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Neill through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,834
- 1,834 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1950
- 36 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 7 in 2021. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 36 in 1950. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,347 as a first name in 2020; 8,623 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Neill’s family of names
In English usage, Neill developed from the Irish form Niall. In English usage, Neill has an alternative spelling in Neil. In English usage, Neill has a related form in Neil.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Neill
- Neill BlomkampSouth African film director, producer, screenwriter, and animatorborn 1979
- Neill CollinsScottish football player and manager (born 1983)
- Neill S. BrownAmerican politician and diplomat, Governor of Tennessee (1810-1886)
- Neill BarryAmerican actorborn 1965
- Mojo NixonAmerican psychobilly musician (1957–2024)
- Neill RimmerEnglish footballer (born 1967)
- Neill MalcolmBritish Army World War I general (1869–1953)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Neill, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Mal
“a chief” · “of the gardens”
>99% boys
Ferry
“descendant of Fearadhach”
87% boys · 13% girls
Kinnie
Kinnie is a masculine given name from Irish.
97% boys · 3% girls
Neal
“the champion”
>99% boys
Neale
“the champion” · “a champion”
99% boys · 1% girls
Carroll
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman” · “a free man”
82% boys · 18% girls
McNeil
“the son of Neil”
>99% boys
Artis
“lofty hill; noble” · “rock”
94% boys · 6% girls