Contents [hide]

McNeil History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

McNeil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Early Origins of the McNeil family

The surname McNeil was first found in the counties Galway and Ulster (Irish: Ulaidh), where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McNeil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNeil research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1509, 1816, 1870 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McNeil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNeil Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Neely, McNeill, McNeely, McNeilly, MacNeilly, Coneely and many more.

Early Notables of the McNeil family

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

McNeil World Ranking

In the United States, the name McNeil is the 811^st most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name McNeil is ranked the 528^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,336 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name McNeil is the 829^th popular surname with an estimated 879 people with that name. 3

McNeil migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McNeil Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hector McNeil, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 4
Malcolm McNeil, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 4

McNeil Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Neil McNeil, who arrived in Cape Fear, North Carolina in 1718 4
Margaret McNeil, who arrived in New York in 1738 4
Mary McNeil, who landed in New York, NY in 1739 4
Dugold McNeil, who landed in North Carolina in 1739 4
Anne McNeil, who landed in New York, NY in 1740 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McNeil Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas McNeil, who landed in America in 1803 4
William McNeil, who landed in America in 1805 4
Jane McNeil, aged 27, who landed in Maine in 1812 4
Henry C McNeil, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
Angus McNeil, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McNeil migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McNeil Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Hugh McNeil, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Major. McNeil U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was Passenger number 419 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 5
Mr. Neil McNeil U.E. who settled in Carleton, [Saint John West] New Brunswick c. 1784 5
Mr. Archibald McNeil U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he became a Freeman Mariner in 1785, was also a member of the Loyal Artillery in 1795 5
Mr. Charles McNeil U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McNeil Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John McNeil, who was a soldier on record in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1812 6
Robert McNeil, who arrived in Canada in 1820
Samuel McNeil, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
Andrew McNeil, aged 18, who landed in Quebec in 1834

McNeil migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McNeil Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John McNeil, (Neil, McGerry, Teapot), Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. James McNeil, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. James Mcneil, (b. 1818), aged 20, Scottish farm labourer who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1839 9
Christian McNeil, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 10
Peter McNeil, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McNeil 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:

McNeil Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John McNeil, aged 45, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 11
Catherine McNeil, aged 35, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 11
Eliza McNeil, aged 13, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 11
Alexander McNeil, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 11
John McNeil, aged 1, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McNeil (post 1700) +

Lori McNeil (b. 1963), American tennis coach and former professional tennis player
Archibald McNeil Jr. (b. 1884), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bridgeport, 1908; Member of Connecticut State Senate 22nd District, 1911-14
John Irving McNeil (b. 1877), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Dakota, 1912
Brigadier-General Edwin Colyer McNeil (1882-1965), American Chairman of Board of Review, Office of the Judge Advocate-General (1936-1937) 12
Freeman McNeil (b. 1959), former professional American football player
Don McNeil, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 12th District, 1986
Dennis McNeil, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 5th District, 1926
Deborah McNeil, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 2008
Clarence W. McNeil, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Laredo, Texas, 1895-99
Cecil McNeil, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1956
... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McNeil family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Eric Albert Dunbar Mcneil (1914-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 13

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Roland McNeil, Canadian resident from Protestant Orphanage, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 14
Mr. M. McNeil, Scottish Seaman aboard the SS Curaca from Barra, Scotland, United Kingdom who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 14

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. Pius McNeil (1885-1914), Canadian Miner from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 15

The McNeil Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per virtutem scientamque
Motto Translation: By Virtue Knowledge

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, May 9) Edwin McNeil. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McNeil/Edwin_Colyer/USA.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners