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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Blue
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- NEE-lah
Neela is a Sanskrit name with a simple, literal meaning: blue. It's sometimes described as meaning 'precious as a sapphire,' but that's a poetic embellishment rather than the actual meaning — the word itself just means blue. It's pronounced NEE-lah (/ˈniːlə/) and has both a worldly and clean, modern feel.
Meaning & Origin of Neela
Meaning: Blue.
Origin: Sanskrit.
A common claim: Neela means 'blue', sometimes glossed as 'precious as a sapphire' Actually: The core Sanskrit meaning is simply 'blue'; 'as precious as a sapphire' is a poetic embellishment (sapphires being blue) rather than the literal meaning.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Neela
NEE-lahIPA /ˈniːlə/
Popularity of Neela
Neela's most popular year on record was 2007, when it ranked #2000 with 103 babies given the name; by 2024 it had dropped to #3032, with 54 babies.
Names Like Neela
These names share Neela’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Neela mean?
Blue. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Neela?
Neela is pronounced NEE-lah (IPA: /ˈniːlə/).
Is Neela a popular name right now?
Neela peaked at #2000 in 2007 and is ranked #3032 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1972–2024.)
Make Neela Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Neela, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Neela? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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