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Neill as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Neill

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The baby name Neill is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced NEEL (IPA: /niːl/).

Neill is Irish, Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Pronunciation: NEEL (IPA: /niːl/)

What is the meaning of the name Neill ?

The baby name Neill is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced NEEL (IPA: /niːl/).

Neill is Irish, Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Neill is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Niall, an Old Irish personal name of uncertain etymology, variously glossed as “champion,” “vehement/passionate,” or “cloud.” It enters early tradition with Niall of the Nine Hostages, a famed High King of Ireland, and gave rise to the powerful Uí Néill dynasty. The name passed into Scotland and Norse as Njáll, and later overlapped in England with Norman French Nigel (from Latin Nigellus), helping fix the modern Neil/Neill spellings.

As a given name, Neill is rarer than Neil but long used in Ireland and Scotland, often maintained as a family spelling from the surnames O’Neill or Neill. Variants include Neil, Neal, Neale, Neel, and Irish Niall; related surnames include O’Neill and MacNeill/McNeill. The name carries a trim, traditional feel with deep Celtic lineage.

Neill has the following similar or variant Names

Neill – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2001 #1 464
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
MT Boys 0 #177 3 4,064
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Boys 0 #250 4 6,830
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
France Boys 2007 #400 3 2,758
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
ZA 0 #419 29 14,421
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
BO Boys 0 #620 3 9,244
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
PE Boys 0 #852 27 14,506
United States Boys 2021 #904 7 7,214
CO Boys 0 #908 13 15,656
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
NL Boys 0 #937 15 5,873
ZA Boys 0 #993 186 25,619
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,072 1 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,135 9 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,177 6 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,236 1 25,928
SA Boys 0 #1,685 7 28,008

Neill is popular in 32 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States
France
AE

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People also ask about Neill

Neill is predominantly a boy's name.
Neill is a one syllable name, pronounced NEEL (IPA: /niːl/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Neil, Niall, Nial, Neal, Neale and Niel.
Across languages, Neill has these equivalents: Niall (Irish Gaelic original), Neil / Neal (English forms), Niel (Scottish).
Yes, very popular — Neill ranked #1 in Ireland in 2001, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Neill ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2001).
Neill's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 1991 to #1 in 2001 in Ireland.