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

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Neale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

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

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

Notable amongst the family name at this time was 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...
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

In the United States, the name Neale is the 7,070^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Neale is ranked the 883^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,469 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Neale is the 776^th popular surname with an estimated 938 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Neale as 636^th with 10,372 people. 6

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 7
Jon Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 7
Jonathan Neale, aged 12, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 7
Pearce Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 7
... (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 7
Bryan Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 7
Charles Neale, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 7
Thomas Neale, who arrived in Georgia in 1738 7

Neale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Neale, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812 7
Arthur Neale, aged 45, who landed in Maryland in 1813 7
Robert Neale, aged 24, who landed in Maryland in 1813 7
Alice Neale, aged 55, who arrived in New York in 1864 7

Neale migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Neale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Neale, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Neale, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. Thomas Neale, (b. 1798), aged 24, Irish reaper who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
John Neale, English convict from Buckinghamshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11
Mr. Robert Neale, British convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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

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
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 13
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 13
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 13
... (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 14
Henry Neale, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from St. Mary's County, 1805, 1808-09, 1811-12 14
George Neale, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from Kent County, 1817 14
G. Hallett Neale (b. 1896), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Elkhart, Indiana, 1943-44 14
Daniel R. Neale, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Parkersburg, Virginia, 1829-41 14
Christopher Neale, American politician, Mayor of Alexandria, District of Columbia, 1821-24 14
Cheryl Neale, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 2004 14
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Neale family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Henry Neale, British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 15

HMS Hood

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 16

Citations +

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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
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