Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Neko isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Neko through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,248
- 1,001 boys · 247 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 63 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #3,424 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,424 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 930 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Neko’s family of names
In Japanese usage, Neko is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 眠子. In Japanese usage, Neko is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 音子.
The ring: spellings.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Neko
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Neko, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.