Holding steady, #8,910 for boys today.
Popularity of Oniel since 1913
Babies named Oniel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1993, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Oniel's real moment was 1913.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 |
| 1920s | 17 |
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 30 |
| 1990s | 52 |
| 2000s | 64 |
| 2010s | 39 |
| 2020s | 36 |
Meaning & origin
Oniel is a rare given name derived from the Irish surname O'Neill. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1913, which also remains its peak year of usage. As of 2025, it ranked 8,910 with a frequency of 1 in 213,510 male births, indicating it has never entered mainstream popularity. The trajectory has remained stable, with only sporadic usage over the decades. While no top states have recorded significant use, Oniel reflects a broader trend of adopting surnames as first names, particularly those with strong Irish heritage.
Oniel is a variant spelling of the traditional Irish patronymic surname O'Neill. The surname comes from the Gaelic Ó Néill, meaning 'descendant of Niall'. The personal name Niall is of uncertain derivation, but it is often associated with the Gaelic word 'niadh', meaning 'champion' or 'cloud'. As a given name, Oniel is uncommon and likely emerged as a re-spelling of the surname, used in English-speaking countries.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: O, Neil, Niel
Variants: O'Neill, O'Neil, Oneil
Sibling names for Oniel
Names that share Oniel's style, for a brother or sister.
