Neel is an Indian name from the Sanskrit nila, meaning "blue" or "sapphire", a color associated with the gods Krishna and Shiva. In English-speaking countries it also doubles as a spelling of the Irish Neil. Neel has stayed in a narrow band in the United States for two decades: number 1534 in 2000, a peak of number 1216 in 2009 and number 1581 in 2025.