Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1974

Neely

Gender Unisex · 85% girls Rank 2025 #4,144 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#4,144
among girls · ↑1,112 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
35
named Neely · +40% vs 2024
How common
1 in 45,922
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1974
82 babies
All-time total
2,630
#4,369 all-time among girls
First recorded
1888
in Social Security records

Neely popularity over time

2,630 babies have been named Neely since 1888, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 5 – 5 1 – #1,423
1890s 10 6 16 2 +220% #1,643
1900s – 18 18 2 +12% –
1910s 13 75 88 9 +389% #3,093
1920s 11 98 109 11 +24% #4,813
1930s 5 61 66 7 -39% #5,059
1940s 10 46 56 6 -15% #4,880
1950s – 54 54 5 -4% –
1960s 62 5 67 7 +24% #1,900
1970s 408 17 425 43 +534% #1,377
1980s 287 6 293 29 -31% #2,314
1990s 274 5 279 28 -5% #2,877
2000s 534 – 534 53 +91% #2,545
2010s 439 – 439 44 -18% #3,078
2020s (to 2025) 181 – 181 30 -31% #4,144

Where Neely 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 35 0.02 outside top 500
2027 35 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 35 0.02 outside top 500
2030 35 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Neely

Neely is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,144 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 2,630 American babies have been named Neely, about 85% girls and 15% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1974, when 82 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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 Neely stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Neely?

The median living Neely is about 25 years old; half are between 14 and 45. An estimated 2,300 people named Neely are alive in the United States today.

median 25 020406080100

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

Neely year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 35 #4,144 – –
2024 25 #5,256 – –
2023 31 #4,534 – –
2022 33 #4,351 – –
2021 33 #4,303 – –
2020 24 #5,278 – –
2019 36 #4,054 – –
2018 33 #4,318 – –
2017 37 #4,050 – –
2016 44 #3,568 – –
2015 38 #3,964 – –
2014 52 #3,175 – –
2013 49 #3,304 – –
2012 55 #3,078 – –
2011 48 #3,395 – –
2010 47 #3,457 – –
2009 51 #3,288 – –
2008 48 #3,462 – –
2007 55 #3,158 – –
2006 55 #3,078 – –
2005 68 #2,545 – –
2004 56 #2,883 – –
2003 48 #3,113 – –
2002 55 #2,769 – –
2001 40 #3,401 – –
2000 58 #2,586 – –
1995 16 #5,875 – –
1990 24 #4,190 – –
1985 24 #3,590 6 #6,280
1980 27 #3,186 – –
1975 56 #1,701 5 #6,039
1970 21 #3,175 5 #5,222
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 5 #4,219
1950 – – – –
1945 – – 7 #2,918
1940 – – – –
1935 – – 8 #2,876
1930 5 #5,059 9 #2,940
1925 – – 8 #3,321
1920 – – 8 #3,404
1915 – – 9 #2,763
1910 – – 5 #1,774
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 5 #1,439
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 6 #964
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Neely?

The median living Neely is about 25 years old. Half of all living Neelys are between 14 and 45 years old.

How many people named Neely are alive today?

An estimated 2,300 people named Neely are alive in the United States, based on 2,630 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Neely in 2025?

Neely ranked #4,144 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Neely?

2,630 babies have been named Neely in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Neely most popular?

Neely peaked in 1974, when 82 newborns received the name.

Is Neely a boy or girl name?

Neely is used for both: about 85% of babies named Neely have been girls and 15% boys.

Is the name Neely rising or falling?

Neely is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Neely become more popular?

Neely looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 35 girls named Neely in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Neely

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

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