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![Show Contents]() Niel Surname History
Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Niel 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 Early Origins of the Niel familyThe surname Niel 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 Niel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Niel 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 Niel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Niel Spelling VariationsThe Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Niel were encountered in the archives: O'Neill, Neal, Neale, Neales, Neil, Nihill, Niell, O'Nail, O'Neil, O'Niel and many more. Early Notables of the Niel familyNotable amongst the family name at this time was - Daniel O'Neill (c.1612-1664), an Irish army officer, politician and courtier
Niel RankingIn France, the name Niel is the 2,675th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 3
 Niel migration to the United States | + |
Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Niel:
Niel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Nicho Niel, who arrived in Virginia in 1698 4
Niel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- James Niel, who arrived in New York in 1799 4
- John Niel, who landed in New York in 1799 4
Niel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Julius Niel, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1807 4
- Michael Niel, who arrived in New York in 1841 4
- H Niel, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
- Francisco Niel, aged 39, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1876 4
| Niel migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Niel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mary Niel, aged 27, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Fortune" 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Niel (post 1700) | + |
- Daniel Niel, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for California, 1948 6
- Niel Gow (1727-1807), Scottish violinist and composer, born at Inver, near Dunkeld, Perthshire, on 22 March 1727, son of a plaid weaver 7
- Niel Hornbuckle (b. 1991), South African first-class cricketer
- Niel van Deventer, South African producer and writer, known for Dis ek, Anna (2015), Teiken (2018) and Kamphoer (2018)
- Niel B. Nielson (b. 1954), American academic, former president of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
- Niel Gow (1727-1807), the most famous Scottish fiddler and dancie of the eighteenth century
- Niel Wright (b. 1933), New Zealand poet, literary critic, bibliographer, publisher, and cultural and political commentator
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- South Australian Register Thursday 8th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Fortune 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/fortune1854.shtml
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
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Niel migration to the United States 
Niel migration to Australia 
Ireland
Scotland
