neil
n. countablen. a common name for a man or a boy. It is a traditional name used in English-speaking countries.
n. a masculine given name of Gaelic origin, meaning 'cloud' or 'champion'. When used in general discourse, it identifies a specific male person.
My friend Neil lives in London.
The manager introduced Neil as the newest member of the engineering team during the morning meeting.
While the name Neil has seen fluctuating popularity over the decades, it remains a classic choice within the British Isles and North America.
Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As a proper name, it is always capitalised and typically used without an article.
- Nounneil
- Nounnelson
Last updated May 2, 2026