Neil is a name of Irish origin that means "cloud" or "champion". It is derived from the Gaelic word "Niall", which was borne by several historic Irish kings. The most famous of these was Niall of the Nine Hostages, who ruled Ireland in the fifth century and gave his name to the Uí Néill dynasty that dominated much of Ireland for centuries thereafter.
The name Neil has been popular among people of Irish descent for many generations, but it has also gained popularity among other groups in recent years. Today, it is considered a unisex name and can be spelled in various ways, including Neil, Neal, Niall, and Nell.
In literature and pop culture, several notable characters have borne the name Neil or variations thereof. For example, the famous novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl features an Oompa Loompa named Neil who sings songs about the dangers of greed and gluttony. Additionally, the character of Neal Caffrey from the TV show "White Collar" is a renowned criminal profiler with a mysterious past.
Overall, Niel is a strong and distinctive name with a rich history that continues to captivate people around the world today. Whether you're Irish or not, this powerful name carries a certain gravitas that makes it an excellent choice for a child or loved one.
Based on the provided statistics, we can observe the trends and fluctuations in the number of births with the name Niel over a span of more than a century in the United States.
The name Niel first appeared frequently in the early 20th century, with consistent occurrences from 1913 to 1928, ranging between 7 to 16 births per year. This period marked the peak popularity of the name Niel during this timeframe.
However, there was a significant drop in its usage starting from 1929 onwards, with the number of births fluctuating between 8 and 24 annually until the mid-1950s. Despite these fluctuations, the overall trend shows a decline in popularity compared to the earlier years.
Interestingly, there is another peak in the popularity of Niel during the late 1970s to early 1980s, with numbers ranging from 14 to 21 births per year. This can be considered as a brief resurgence in the usage of this name.
After this brief revival, the popularity of Niel started to decline once again, dropping significantly from the late 1980s onwards. Between 1989 and 2023, there were fewer than 15 births with the name Niel each year, with some years as low as 5 births.
In total, over this period of more than a century (from 1913 to 2023), there have been 1379 births with the name Niel in the United States. Despite its initial popularity and brief revival, the overall trend indicates that the name Niel is no longer among the most commonly chosen names today.