Neymar is a Brazilian name of "uncertain origin" that is known worldwide through the soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, who was named after his father; it has no traditional meaning and was essentially a family invention. American parents discovered it when Neymar joined FC Barcelona in 2013 and led Brazil at the 2014 World Cup: the name entered the US top 1000 in 2012 and peaked at number 551 in 2014. It has since faded and ranks number 2527 among boys' names in 2025.