Name
Neil
Meaning
Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin meaning “cloud, or champion”.
Neil anglicizes the old Irish name Niall, whose meaning scholars still dispute between cloud, champion, and passionate; the great dynasty of the Uí Néill descended from the semi-legendary king Niall of the Nine Hostages. Astronaut Neil Armstrong gave the name a permanent place in the sky.
Peaked in the US in the 1950s; still a quiet classic in Britain and Ireland.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #850 in 2025 · peak #181 in 1980
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- Irish
- Gender
- Masculine
- Pronounced
- /NEEL/
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Questions
Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin meaning “cloud, or champion”. Neil anglicizes the old Irish name Niall, whose meaning scholars still dispute between cloud, champion, and passionate; the great dynasty of the Uí Néill descended from the semi-legendary king Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Neil is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. Peaked in the US in the 1950s; still a quiet classic in Britain and Ireland.
The name Neil comes from Irish. Neil anglicizes the old Irish name Niall, whose meaning scholars still dispute between cloud, champion, and passionate; the great dynasty of the Uí Néill descended from the semi-legendary king Niall of the Nine Hostages. Astronaut Neil Armstrong gave the name a permanent place in the sky.
Neil is pronounced NEEL.
More names that mean sky
Names that share this meaning.