Show ContentsNeale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Neale Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Neale

What does the name Neale mean?

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Neale is Ó Néill, which means descendant of Niall, a personal name of Irish origin, thought to mean "champion." 1

"Of the very great antiquity of this distinguished name and family there can be no doubt." 2

Neale Coat of Arms Creation

Two brothers of the race of Colla Uais saw the Isle of Islay from their native Ireland, and both, at the same time, resolved to possess it. Each got his birlinn ready with its full comple-ment of men, and the race began. When within a short distance of landing, one galley was a length ahead ; whereupon the brother in the galley behind, seeing that the race was about to be won by the other, placed his left hand on the gunwale and, with his own sword, cut it off and threw it ashore, saying as he did so, " Tha m' fhuil agus m' fheoil air tir romhad" ("My flesh and my blood are ashore ahead of you "). 3

Early Origins of the Neale family

The surname Neale was first found in County Tyrone (Irish: Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, and County Clare where O'Neill was chief of Clan Dalvy and of Tradree, a district in the barony of Inchiquinn. In the 10th century, a branch of this family went to Limerick to assist in the expulsion of the Danes.

After one victorious occasion they wore green boughs in their helmets and on their horses' heads signifying their victory.

Early History of the Neale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neale research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1530, 1550, 1559, 1567, 1612, 1616, 1664, 1689 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Neale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neale Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Neale family name include O'Neill, Neal, Neale, Neales, Neil, Nihill, Niell, O'Nail, O'Neil, O'Niel and many more.

Early Notables of the Neale family

Sir Niall O'Neill who distinguished himself at the Battle of the Boyne; Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone (c.1480-1559) King of Tir Eogain; Shane O'Neill (c.1530-1567), Irish king of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster; Hugh O'Neill (c. 1550-1616), Earl of Tyrone, also known as the Great Earl, Leader of the resistance during the Nine Years War...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Neale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neale World Ranking

the United States, the name Neale is the 7,070th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Neale is ranked the 883rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,469 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Neale is the 776th popular surname with an estimated 938 people with that name. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Neale as 636th with 10,372 people. 7

Neale migration to the United States +

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Neale name:

Neale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Captain James Neale (1615-1684) who arrived about 1635 in Maryland and received 1,000 acres of land, many of his descendants became Jesuit priests
  • James Neale, who arrived in Maryland in 1635 9
  • Jon Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 9
  • Jonathan Neale, aged 12, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 9
  • Pearce Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Neale Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 9
  • Bryan Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 9
  • Charles Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 9
  • Thomas Neale, who arrived in Georgia in 1738 9
Neale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Neale, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812 9
  • Robert Neale, aged 24, who landed in Maryland in 1813 9
  • Arthur Neale, aged 45, who landed in Maryland in 1813 9
  • Alice Neale, aged 55, who arrived in New York in 1864 9

Neale migration to Canada +

Neale Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • James Neale, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Neale Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Johanna Neale, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
  • Dennis Neale, aged 31, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
  • Catherine Neale, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
  • Daniel Neale, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
  • Mary Neale, aged 27, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neale migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. John Neale, (1767 - 1801), aged 22, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Second Fleet
  • Mr. John Neale, (d. 1791), British settler convicted in Kent, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791, may have died on the ship 9
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Neale, (b. 1754), aged 33, English settler convicted in London on 26th May 1784, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Neale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Neale migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Neale Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Neale, (b. 1803), aged 37, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Olympus" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th April 1841 15
  • Mrs. Sarah Neale, (b. 1802), aged 38, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Olympus" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th April 1841 15
  • Mr. William Neale, Jr., (b. 1824), aged 16, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Olympus" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th April 1841 15
  • William Neale, aged 37, a lime burner, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • Sarah Neale, aged 38, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Neale (post 1700) +

  • Alfred Earle "Greasy" Neale (1891-1973), American football coach who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969
  • Father Charles Neale (d. 1823), leader of the Jesuit Mission in America
  • Robert Neale, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the American Volunteer Group, during World War II, credited with 13 aerial victories
  • Howard F. Neale, American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 3rd District, 1931-34 16
  • Henry Neale, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from St. Mary's County, 1805, 1808-09, 1811-12 17
  • George Neale, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from Kent County, 1817 17
  • G. Hallett Neale (b. 1896), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Elkhart, Indiana, 1943-44 17
  • Daniel R. Neale, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Parkersburg, Virginia, 1829-41 17
  • Christopher Neale, American politician, Mayor of Alexandria, District of Columbia, 1821-24 17
  • ... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Henry Neale, British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 17
  • Mr. Robert S Neale (b. 1905), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Workington, Cumberland, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 18
  • Harlan Benjamin Neale, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 19
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  9. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  13. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  17. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  18. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  19. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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