Fun Facts About the Name Neiva
- 130 babies named Neiva: U.S. records list 130 babies given the name Neiva from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Neiva Mean?
Neiva is a Portuguese place name and surname that is also used as a given name. Its origin is not documented with certainty: the river Neiva in northern Portugal, and the places named after it, are usually thought to carry names older than the Roman period, and no agreed meaning for the element has been established.
Neiva is sometimes glossed as "snowy" or "snow-white" because it resembles Latin niveus, "snowy," and Portuguese neve, "snow." That reading rests on similarity of sound and spelling rather than on a documented derivation of the Portuguese name.
Neiva Name History & Origins
In Portugal, Neiva is the name of a river in the north of the country, which reaches the Atlantic near Esposende, and of two parishes in the same region: Castelo do Neiva, in the municipality of Viana do Castelo, and São Romão de Neiva, in Barcelos. From this local use came the Portuguese surname Neiva, and the surname in turn was given as a personal name, especially to girls, in Portugal and Brazil.
The name also traveled to the Americas as a place name. The Colombian city of Neiva, founded in 1612 in the Magdalena valley and now the capital of Huila department, has carried the name since the colonial period; its naming is often linked to the Portuguese toponym, though the details of that transfer are not firmly documented.
How Popular is the Name Neiva?
Neiva has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1988. Its best rank was #3,550 in 1988.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,434 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #16,905 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #14,752 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #16,815 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #15,140 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #15,685 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #12,682 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,704 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #19,630 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #16,553 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #16,826 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #15,062 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #12,604 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,701 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #6,045 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #3,550 | 27 | 0.0015% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Neiva Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Neiva's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Neiva's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.