Nillen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Nillen

What does the name Nillen mean?

The surname Nillen was derived from the Gaelic "O Niallain," which means "descendant of Niall."

Early Origins of the Nillen family

The surname Nillen was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster.

Early History of the Nillen family

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

Nillen Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Nillen were encountered in the archives: O'Neilan, O'Neylan, Neilan, Neylan and many more.

Early Notables of the Nillen family

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

Nillen migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Nillen:

Nillen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Margratin Nillen, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 1

Sources +

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)