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Home › Baby Names Directory › Neal

Neal

♂ Boy

Pronounced NEEL /ˈniːl/Medium

Meaning: Fury, passionMedium

In 30 seconds: Neal is an English boy's name meaning 'fury, passion'. It is one of several spellings of the name better known as Neil.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFury, passion
U.S. rank (2025)#1914 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births82 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1959
Total births (all-time)≈ 55,042

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195918802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Neal means 'fury, passion' and stands as a spelling variant of Neil, with deeper roots reaching the Irish Niall and the Old Norse Njáll. The forms Nigel and Nigellus also belong to its wider family. Across these spellings the fierce, spirited sense of the name carries through.

The 'ea' spelling gives Neal a slightly more traditional look than Neil while sounding exactly the same. A familiar bearer is actor Neal McDonough, known for Band of Brothers and the Arrowverse.

Did you know? Neal is a spelling variant of Neil, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'fury, passion' while changing the visual style.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Neal — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

NeilNigelNigellusNjállNiall

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Neal McDonough (1966–present)
    American actor known for Band of Brothers, Captain America: The First Avenger, and the Arrowverse.

If you like Neal…

Neil— The most common spelling of the same name and meaning.
Niall— A listed Irish variant at the root of the Neal family.
Nigel— A listed relative form connected to the same name.
Micheal— shares the -al ending
Nick— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Neal

By themeenglish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Neal mean?

Neal is usually explained as meaning 'fury, passion' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Neal?

It's commonly said NEEL /ˈniːl/.

Is Neal a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Neal is used as a boy name.

How popular is Neal?

In 2024, Neal ranked #2002 in the U.S. for boys, with 77 births recorded.

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