# Neil

/ˈniɫ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/neil
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a male name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a man.

For teachers: a masculine given name of Goidelic origin.

- My friend Neil is coming over for dinner tonight.
- Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon in 1969.

### 2. a family name

noun · CEFR A1

a last name or family name.

For teachers: a surname derived from the Irish patronymic tradition.

- The author's full name is Andrew Neil.
- The professor introduced herself as Dr. Neil before beginning the lecture on history.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.