Neal Stephenson
There are approximately 6 people named Neal Stephenson living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 57,125,723 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Neal with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Stephenson. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
6
1 in 57,125,723
Named Neal
37K
Alive today
Named Stephenson
53K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 37K
Rarity: Uncommon
Gender: Male
Peak year: 1959
Average age: 56
Top Census group: White (83.2%)
Estimated bearers: 53K
Rarity: Uncommon
Census rank: #723
Per 100K: 15.60
Top ancestry: White (76.9%)
First name trend
Neal: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Neal. The peak year was 1959 with 1,223 births. The average person named Neal today is 56 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neal
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name Neal, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 83.2%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Neal described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name Neal at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White83.2% · 31,131
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 2,190
- Black or African American5.5% · 2,072
- Two or more races2.7% · 1,017
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 784
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 201
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Stephenson surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Stephenson, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is White at 76.9%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Stephenson described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Stephenson at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White76.9% · 35,845
- Black or African American13.8% · 6,443
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,917
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,792
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 360
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 258
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name Neal has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0109% of the US population, based on 37,277 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name Neal right now.
The surname Stephenson appears at a rate of 15.60 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0156%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 6 people with the full name Neal Stephenson. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people named Neal
Related
Other people with the surname Stephenson
FAQ
Neal Stephenson: questions and answers
How many people are named Neal Stephenson?
We estimate approximately 6 people in the United States share the full name Neal Stephenson. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0109%) with the surname frequency (15.60 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name Neal Stephenson?
We classify Neal Stephenson as "Very Rare". About 1 in 57,125,723 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is Neal a male or female name?
Neal is predominantly male. Out of 55,217 total SSA registrations, 99.5% were male and 0.5% were female. See the full Neal profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How many people are called Neal Stephenson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.