How Many People Are Named Neely?
An estimated 2,181 people in the United States have the first name Neely. It is used for both genders, with 84.9% female. The average bearer is 31 years old, and Neely peaked in popularity in 1974 with 82 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Neely as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Neely paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Neely has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
Estimated Living Americans
2,181
About 1 in 157,155 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
84.9% confidence
Average Age
31
years old
Peak Year
1974
82 births
Total Registered
2,593
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Neely
Neely is predominantly female (84.9%), though 391 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Neely as a male name
Ranked #9,817 in 1994
5 male births in 1994
Peak: 1919 (17 births)
Neely as a female name
Ranked #5,541 in 2024
23 female births in 2024
Peak: 1974 (75 births)
Neely in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,135 people with the first name Neely, which placed it at #7,219 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Neely was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 2,135 people with this name in that snapshot, 9.1% were male and 90.9% were female. That is more heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 84.9% female.
Census Count
2,135
people with this name
Census Rank
#7,219
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.71
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Neely was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (87.58%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (4.64%) and Two or More Races (3.56%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Neely in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Neely.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 87.58% | 1,869 |
| Black | 4.64% | 99 |
| Two or More Races | 3.56% | 76 |
| Hispanic | 2.44% | 52 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.12% | 24 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.66% | 14 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Neely: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Neely span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2000s, when 534 babies were registered. Neely has declined significantly from its peak in the 2000s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Neely by Decade
How has Neely tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Neely by State
Birth registrations for Neely span all 14 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi. The lowest are in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Indiana. On average, about 36 Neelys were registered per state.
Neely + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Neely as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Neely
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
Neely: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neely?
We estimate approximately 2,181 people named Neely are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 157,155 Americans share this first name.
Is Neely a common name?
Neely is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 2,593 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Neely most popular?
Neely reached peak popularity in 1974, when 82 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Neely is approximately 31 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Neely in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,135 people with the first name Neely. That placed it at #7,219 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.71 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Neely was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Neely?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Neely was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 9.1% male and 90.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Neely?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Neely was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (87.58%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (4.64%) and Two or More Races (3.56%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Neely a female name?
Neely is predominantly female. 84.9% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Neely have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Neely peaked in 1974, and the average living bearer is about 31 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Neely Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Neely Smith, Neely Johnson, Neely Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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