Neev
A Hebrew name meaning "sprout" or "bud of a plant".
Name Census estimates that about 851 living Americans carry the first name Neev. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Neev today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neev births was 2024 (70 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neev. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Neev with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
851
~ 1 in 402,767 Americans
Peak year
2024
70 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,120
Tracked since 2001
Census
Neev in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 574 people with the first name Neev, which placed it at #18,700 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#18,700
National first-name rank
People counted
574
574 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
88.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neev
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Neev is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Neev described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Neev at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.3% · 507
- White8.5% · 49
- Two or more races2.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Popularity
Neev: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neev from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 447 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Neev remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neev by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Neev during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Neevs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Neev, while Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neev
Neev is a relatively modern name that has its origins in the Hebrew language. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "navah," which means "dwelling" or "abode." It is believed to have emerged as a given name in the late 20th century, likely inspired by the increasing popularity of Hebrew names among certain communities.
While the name itself does not have a long historical lineage, its roots can be traced back to ancient Hebrew texts and scriptures. The concept of "navah" is mentioned in various contexts, often referring to the idea of a peaceful and secure dwelling place. This association with a safe haven or a place of refuge may have contributed to the name's appeal.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Neev can be found in the works of Israeli author and poet Yehuda Amichai, who was born in 1924 and passed away in 2000. Amichai's writings often explored themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience, which may have resonated with the meaning of "navah."
Another notable figure who bore the name Neev was Neev Sopher, an Israeli artist and sculptor known for his intricate metal sculptures. Sopher, who lived from 1937 to 2018, gained recognition for his unique style and his ability to capture movement and energy in his works.
In the realm of academia, Neev Sharon is a renowned Israeli archaeologist and professor who has made significant contributions to the study of ancient Near Eastern cultures. Sharon, born in 1945, has led numerous excavations and has authored several books on the subject.
Neev Elkin, an Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament), also carried this name. Elkin, born in 1981, served as the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Environmental Protection in the Israeli government.
While the name Neev may be relatively new, its Hebrew roots and associations with concepts of dwelling and refuge have likely contributed to its growing popularity in recent years. As with many modern names, its usage and potential historical significance will continue to evolve over time.
People
Neev + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neev as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Neev: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neev?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 851 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neev going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 402,767 US residents.
Is Neev a common name?
We classify Neev as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 858 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neev most popular?
The single biggest year for Neev was 2024, when 70 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neev is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Neev in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 574 people with the name Neev, or 0.19 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #18,700 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Neev in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Neev?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Neev leans strongly male. 553 people counted with this name were male (95.0%), compared with 29 female bearers (5.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Neev?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Neev is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Neev most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Neev in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (507 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Neev in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neev a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neev in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Neev still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neev in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Neev can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Neev?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.