Neela: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,332

among girls · ↓293 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Neela · -13% vs 2024

How common

1 in 34,197

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2007

103 babies

All-time total

1,374

#6,049 all-time among girls

First recorded

1972

in Social Security records

Neela popularity over time

1,374 babies have been named Neela since 1972, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	41	4	–	#6,537
1980s	48	5	+17%	#6,663
1990s	27	3	-44%	#8,596
2000s	465	47	+1622%	#2,000
2010s	524	52	+13%	#2,668
2020s (to 2025)	269	45	-14%	#3,039

Where Neela is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	47	0.03	outside top 500
2027	47	0.03	outside top 500
2028	47	0.03	outside top 500
2029	47	0.03	outside top 500
2030	47	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Neela

Neela is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,332 in 2025 with 47 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1972, 1,374 American babies have been named Neela. Its peak came in 2007, when 103 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Neela stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Neela?

The median living Neela is about 14 years old; half are between 7 and 18. An estimated 1,400 people named Neela are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Neela year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	47	#3,332
2024	54	#3,039
2023	44	#3,565
2022	44	#3,582
2021	36	#4,069
2020	44	#3,484
2019	52	#3,122
2018	54	#3,037
2017	48	#3,335
2016	27	#5,092
2015	59	#2,959
2014	54	#3,102
2013	53	#3,115
2012	47	#3,452
2011	62	#2,830
2010	68	#2,668
2009	85	#2,307
2008	93	#2,168
2007	103	#2,000
2006	69	#2,622
2005	46	#3,353
2004	40	#3,676
2003	12	#8,909
2002	7	#13,228
2001	10	#9,895
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	5	#14,511
1985	–	–
1980	8	#7,890
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Neela, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Neela?

The median living Neela is about 14 years old. Half of all living Neelas are between 7 and 18 years old.

How many people named Neela are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Neela are alive in the United States, based on 1,374 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Neela in 2025?

Neela ranked #3,332 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 47 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Neela?

1,374 babies have been named Neela in the United States since 1972, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Neela most popular?

Neela peaked in 2007, when 103 newborns received the name.

Is Neela a boy or girl name?

Neela is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Neela rising or falling?

Neela has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Neela become more popular?

Neela looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 girls named Neela in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Neela

Names that sound and feel close to Neela: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Neela with similar names → More names starting with N →