Neel is a distinctive choice, ranked #1322 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Neel in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#1322
About the Name Neel
Neel is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 170 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #813 in 1998 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Neel is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Neel
Unlikely. With around 20 UK babies named Neel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Neel in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Neel is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 170 places over the last five years to #1322 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Neel 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 Neel include: Neel Kolhatkar — Neel Kolhatkar is an Australian comedian, YouTuber and actor.; Elizabeth Neel — Elizabeth Neel is an American artist based in New York.; Neel Kamal Puri — Neelkamal Puri is an Indian author, columnist and a college teacher..
Neel does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Neels in the wild.
20
UK babies named Neel (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 170 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Neel
Likely around 1 other Neel in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Neel
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Alice Neel was an American visual artist. Recognized for her paintings of friends, family, lovers, poets, artists, and strangers, Neel is considered one of the greatest American portraitists of the 20th century.
Neel Tushar Kashkari is an American banker, economist, and politician who is the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. As interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability from October 2008 to May 2009, he oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was a major component of the U.S.