Nillind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Nillind family

Early History of the Nillind family

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

Nillind Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Nillind are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include O'Neilan, O'Neylan, Neilan, Neylan, O'Nelan and others.

Early Notables of the Nillind family

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

Migration of the Nillind family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Nillind family relocated to North American shores quite early: Humphry Nelan, who arrived in America between the years 1735 and 1743; James Nelan, who arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843; John, Johanna and Elizabeth Neilan, who all died en route to Quebec in 1847.