McNeely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The original Gaelic form of McNeely was Mac an Fhailghigh, which is derived from the word failgheach, which means poor man.
Early Origins of the McNeely family
The surname McNeely was first found in counties Armagh and Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Early History of the McNeely family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNeely research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1653, 1680 and 1697 are included under the topic Early McNeely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McNeely Spelling Variations
Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the McNeely family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including McNally, McAnully, McAnalley, McAnally and others.
Early Notables of the McNeely family
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McNeely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McNeely Ranking
In the United States, the name McNeely is the 3,106th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1
McNeely migration to the United States +
During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the McNeely family in North America:
McNeely Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John McNeely, who is recorded in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania in 1831
- John McNeely, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1831 2
- J. B McNeely, who arrived in Texas in 1835
- J B McNeely, who arrived in Texas in 1835 2
- George McNeely, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McNeely Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Bridget McNeely, aged 26, who landed in America from Donegal, in 1904
- James McNeely, aged 22, who settled in America from Donegal, in 1904
- Fannie McNeely, aged 55, who landed in America from Donegal, in 1906
- Hattie S McNeely, who settled in America, in 1907
- John McNeely, aged 22, who landed in America from Cloughbrack, Ireland, in 1907
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McNeely migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
McNeely Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Charles John McNeely, aged 23, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1910
- Elizabeth McNeely, aged 55, who settled in Medicine Hat, Canada, in 1914
- John McNeely, aged 58, who settled in Medicine Hat, Canada, in 1914
Contemporary Notables of the name McNeely (post 1700) +
- Ammon McNeely (1970-2023), American rock climber, who held the most Speed Climbing World Records and First One Day Ascents on El Capitan in Yosemite; he died in an accident near Moab, Utah
- Marian Kent Hurd McNeely (1877-1930), American children's book author, awarded the Newbery Honor in 1930 for her book Jumping-Off Place
- Larry McNeely (b. 1948), American five-string banjo player, known for his work with Glen Campbell, Burl Ives and the Smothers Brothers
- Clifton McNeely (1919-2003), American NBA basketball player and coach
- George Earl McNeely (1898-1971), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1924 to 1931
- Thompson Ware Mcneely (1835-1921), American politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois
- Philip "Phil" McNeely, Canadian politician, Ontario MPP (2003-)
- Joel McNeely (b. 1959), American Primetime Emmy Award winning music composer, known for his work on Holes (2003), The Avengers (1998) and Soldier (1998)
- Jim McNeely (b. 1949), American Grammy Award winning jazz composer, arranger, and pianist
- Big Jay McNeely (b. 1927), born Cecil James McNeely, American rhythm and blues tenor saxophonist
- ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)