Nilan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Nilan

What does the name Nilan mean?

The surname Nilan was derived from the Gaelic "O Niallain," which means "descendant of Niall."

Early Origins of the Nilan family

The surname Nilan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster.

Early History of the Nilan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nilan research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1570 is included under the topic Early Nilan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nilan Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Nilan revealed many variations, including O'Neilan, O'Neylan, Neilan, Neylan and many more.

Early Notables of the Nilan family

More information is included under the topic Early Nilan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nilan migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Nilan:

Nilan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Nilan, aged 17, settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Bargue Menny" in 1840 1
Jas Nilan, aged 18, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "David Cannon" in 1849 1
John Nilan, aged 5, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1851 1
Bogan Nilan, aged 3, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1851 1
Bridgt Nilan, aged 28, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1851 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nilan migration to Canada +

Nilan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mrs. Anna Nilan, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Free Trader" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 2

Nilan migration to Australia +

Nilan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Ann Nilan, aged 22, British settler who arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Standard" in 1866 3
Mrs. Mary Nilan, aged 48, British settler who arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Standard" in 1866 3
Patrick Nilan, aged 41, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Omega"
William Nilan, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Omega"

Nilan Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Mr. A. Nilan, settler from Cape Town who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Coolgardie" in 1901 4
Mr. Thomas W. Nilan, settler from Singapore who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Kangaroo" in 1933 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Nilan (post 1700) +

Christopher John Nilan (b. 1958), American former professional ice hockey player and former radio host
Allen Nilan (1913-1994), Australian rules footballer
Patrick Joseph Nilan (1941-2024), Australian field hockey player who competed at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics

Sources +

Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 50)
Passenger list retrieved 2nd January 2024. Retrieved from https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx