boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Neo

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,066 Trend ↑ Rising 53%
Rank 2025
#1,066
among boys · ↓102 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
204
named Neo · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,373
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
240 babies
All-time total
3,123
#2,467 all-time among boys
First recorded
1990
in Social Security records

Neo popularity over time

3,123 babies have been named Neo since 1990, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – 29 29 3 – #3,339
2000s – 879 879 88 +2931% #1,185
2010s – 896 896 90 +2% #1,274
2020s (to 2025) 6 1,313 1,319 220 +145% #949

Where Neo is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 219 0.13 outside top 500
2027 233 0.14 outside top 500
2028 245 0.14 outside top 500
2029 256 0.15 outside top 500
2030 265 0.16 outside top 500

Where Neo is most popular

Boys named Neo per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.131 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Minnesota, and Florida.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Neo born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
California 231 0.253 +93%
Minnesota 27 0.220 +68%
Florida 86 0.182 +38%
New York 76 0.176 +34%
Massachusetts 20 0.145 +11%
Texas 127 0.144 +10%
Maryland 17 0.143 +9%
Illinois 36 0.141 +7%
New Jersey 24 0.119 -9%
Georgia 29 0.114 -13%
Utah 10 0.105 -20%
Arizona 17 0.104 -21%
Virginia 19 0.100 -24%
Pennsylvania 26 0.098 -25%
Washington 14 0.086 -35%
Ohio 21 0.079 -40%
Colorado 10 0.077 -41%
North Carolina 18 0.070 -46%
Tennessee 12 0.066 -49%
Alabama 7 0.064 -51%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -57%
Wisconsin 5 0.042 -68%
Michigan 6 0.029 -78%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Neo

Neo is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,066 in 2025 with 204 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1990, 3,123 American babies have been named Neo. Its peak came in 2022, when 240 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Neo?

The median living Neo is about 7 years old; half are between 3 and 17. An estimated 3,100 people named Neo are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

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

Neo 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 – – 204 #1,066
2024 – – 236 #964
2023 – – 226 #975
2022 – – 240 #949
2021 6 #14,762 227 #980
2020 – – 180 #1,101
2019 – – 124 #1,417
2018 – – 145 #1,274
2017 – – 84 #1,807
2016 – – 100 #1,617
2015 – – 81 #1,840
2014 – – 93 #1,663
2013 – – 60 #2,193
2012 – – 69 #2,026
2011 – – 78 #1,832
2010 – – 62 #2,165
2009 – – 78 #1,871
2008 – – 64 #2,138
2007 – – 69 #2,028
2006 – – 103 #1,486
2005 – – 80 #1,687
2004 – – 108 #1,352
2003 – – 84 #1,535
2002 – – 66 #1,760
2001 – – 111 #1,213
2000 – – 116 #1,185
1995 – – – –
1990 – – 5 #9,085
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
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 Neo, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Neo?

The median living Neo is about 7 years old. Half of all living Neos are between 3 and 17 years old.

How many people named Neo are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Neo are alive in the United States, based on 3,123 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Neo in 2025?

Neo ranked #1,066 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 204 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Neo?

3,123 babies have been named Neo in the United States since 1990, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Neo most popular?

Neo peaked in 2022, when 240 newborns received the name.

Is Neo a boy or girl name?

Neo is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Neo rising or falling?

Neo is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Neo become more popular?

Neo is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 265 boys named Neo in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Neo

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

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