Neely
Feminine · “descendant of Niall”
Neely is given to both — 2,239 girls and 391 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Neely is a Scottish and Irish surname built on Niall — the name behind Neil, and one of the oldest men's names in Ireland.
How old is the name Neely?
Neely first appears in US birth records in 1888 — 137 years ago. The typical Neely alive today was born around 2000, making them about 25 years old. About 2,100 people named Neely are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Neely most popular?
Neely peaked in 1888, reaching #1276 nationally. Today it ranks #4067, 2,791 places below that high. See the whole 1888 chart.
Where it comes from
From Niall to Neely
The story of Neely
Niall of the Nine Hostages is the semi-legendary fifth-century king from whom the Uí Néill dynasties claimed descent, and the name spread through Ireland and into Scotland. Mac Néill anglicized as McNeely, Neely and MacNeil. The surname reached America with Ulster Scots emigration, and its use as a given name appears in nineteenth-century records for both sexes.
Meaningscholars disagree
descendant of Niall
From Mac Néill, son of Niall; the personal name Niall is generally read as a champion or as a cloud, and neither is settled. It is old enough that its meaning was already uncertain in the medieval period.
How the name formed
- Niall
- Mac Néill
- Neely
Related forms: Mac Néill · Neil · MacNeil
Pronouncing Neely
NEE-lee
Two syllables, first stressed. There is no variation in English.
Nicknames for Neely
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1888
- Most girls named
- 197475 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1276reached in 1888
- Change vs 2024
- +40.0%35 in 2025, from 25
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Neely in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Mac Néill in Irish — same name
- Neil in English — related form
- MacNeil in Scottish Gaelic — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi.
Neelys among us
people named Neely are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 45,922 born in 2025 was named Neely
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Spellings of Neely
- #4067
- Neely on the 2025 chart
- #717
- counting every spelling
The SSA counts spellings, not names. Neely went to 35 girls in 2025, but Nelly, Nelli and Neli and the rest below are the same name said out loud. Together the 5 spellings went to 245, which makes it the 717th most-given girls’ name of the year — 3,350 places above the chart.
About 1 girl in 6,560 born in 2025 was given one of these spellings — against 1 in 45,922 for Neely itself.
Spellings are grouped by a fixed rule that folds interchangeable English spellings of one sound (ck/k, ph/f, x/ks, a non-initial y for i) and keeps vowels apart, so Sean and Shawn stay separate names. It errs towards splitting: a family here is never larger than the truth. SSA national data, 2025. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Neely sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Neely is headed
Neely should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Neely beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Neely in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A documented Irish surname with an unusually deep dynastic history.
- Lee is a plain short form that works at any age.
- Read correctly on sight by every English speaker.
- It reads as a surname to people meeting it in front of another one.
- Niall's own meaning is genuinely unsettled.
- Neely, Neeley and Nealy are all in use and none is dominant.
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What they receive
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Neely
Feminine · #4067 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Neelys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,100 people named Neely are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How do you spell Neely?
- Neely is one of 5 recorded spellings. Nelly is the more common one — 173 births in 2025 against 35 for Neely.
- How popular is the name Neely in 2025?
- Neely ranks #4067 among US girl names in 2025, with 35 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Neely?
- About 1 in every 45,922 US girls born in 2025 was named Neely — 35 in all.
- Will my child share the name Neely with classmates?
- Neely will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Neely
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Eli#4067 · Peace#4067 · Medina#4067 · Darlin#4067 · Anja#4067 · Sparrow#4067 · Liani#4067 · Salina#4067
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Neely? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Neely and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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