Cooper vs Neil
Cooper and Neilcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #139 and Neil #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Cooper was ranked #147 and Neil #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Cooper was ranked #198 and Neil #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Cooper and Neil over time
Cooper and Neil appear together in 3 published lists, across 55 years of shared records. Cooper held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Neil in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Neil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cooper in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Cooper moved ahead of Neil in Northern Ireland · Boys — #303 and #222 the year before became #188 and #245.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Neil in 9.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #134 in 2019, Neil #257 in 1997.
The order changed in 2007: Cooper moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #677 and #560; by 2007 that had become #509 and #776.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #139, Neil #968.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2008–2025
Cooper held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Neil in 4.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #142 in 2018, Neil #220 in 2010.
The order changed in 2012: Cooper moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #623 and #308; by 2012 that had become #233 and #290.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cooper #198, Neil #372.
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2006–2022
Cooper held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Neil in 3.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #120 in 2017, Neil #199 in 2006.
The order changed in 2011: Cooper moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #303 and #222; by 2011 that had become #188 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cooper #147, Neil #352.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Cooper | Neil |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkup.əɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cooper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Neil does not have one recorded yet.
- Cooper has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Neil.
- A meaning is recorded for Cooper; Neil doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Cooper
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Neil
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1979
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1979).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys