Neave is a distinctive choice, ranked #922 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Neave in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#922
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About the Name Neave
Neave has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 151 places in five years. It was most popular in 2014 at #359 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Neave is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Neave in their class.
Sean Neave — Sean Thomas Neave is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Newcastle United.
Vera Neave — Vera Neave was a British swimmer in the early 20th century.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Neave
Unlikely. With around 38 UK babies named Neave per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Neave in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Neave is declining: down 351 places since 2020, to #922 in 2025. It peaked at #359 in 2014.
Neave is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Neave include: Mark Neave, Sean Neave and Guy Neave. Short summaries for each appear below.
Neave does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Neaves in the wild.
38
UK babies named Neave (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 351 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Neave
Almost certainly the only Neave in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Neave
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Guy Richard Neave is a British social scientist and Emeritus Professor of Comparative Higher Education Policy Studies at the University of Twente, known for his work on higher education in Europe.
On 30 March 1979, Airey Neave, British Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, was assassinated by the Irish National Liberation Army with a bomb fixed under his car.