Neill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Neill 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 Neill family

The surname Neill 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 Neill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neill 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 Neill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neill 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 Neill family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including O'Neill, Neal, Neale, Neales, Neil, Nihill, Niell, O'Nail, O'Neil, O'Niel and many more.

Early Notables of the Neill family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Neill Ranking

In the United States, the name Neill is the 3,345th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in New Zealand, the name Neill is ranked the 744th most popular surname with an estimated 974 people with that name. 4


Neill 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 Neill family in North America:

Neill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Neill Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Neill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Neill Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Neill migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Neill Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Neill Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Neill migration to Australia +

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

Neill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Neill 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:

Neill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Neill (post 1700) +
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