Neil Surname

15,469th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 36,046 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Jamaica

Neil Surname Definition:

(1) This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Eleanor,' from nick. Nell, (a) Bapt. 'the son of Neil.' There can be no doubt that both Eleanor and Neil are parents of Nelson; v. Neil. There are many instances in the Hundred Rolls.

Read More About This Surname

Neil Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States13,3871:27,0753,389
England4,1791:13,3331,961
Australia3,9591:6,819999
Canada3,7831:9,7401,459
Scotland2,8231:1,896348
Jamaica1,8161:1,580268
Egypt9151:100,4768,511
Iran9011:85,2198,620
New Zealand7791:5,813959
Bangladesh6311:252,5467,887
France3941:168,58626,233
Sri Lanka3651:57,0106,293
South Africa2621:206,78521,999
Argentina2181:196,07116,313
Wales1741:17,7851,927
India1141:6,728,644151,199
Bahamas971:4,039447
Germany891:904,55664,175
Northern Ireland831:22,2292,588
Papua New Guinea581:140,58119,337
Ireland571:82,6134,798
Costa Rica551:86,9101,566
Philippines531:1,910,155116,778
Russia501:2,882,461158,532
Singapore391:141,2236,278
Jersey371:2,681461
China361:37,981,1552,028
Sudan361:1,041,9503,038
Netherlands351:482,49146,668
Trinidad and Tobago341:40,1173,784
Brazil331:6,487,101155,169
Indonesia321:4,132,787209,071
Kuwait291:131,05814,967
Panama291:134,9054,585
Malaysia281:1,053,36546,873
Dominican Republic231:453,60614,824
Afghanistan211:1,531,10412,360
Isle of Man211:4,087875
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines211:5,365624
Qatar191:124,10514,725
Sweden181:547,04239,827
Switzerland181:456,27333,097
Latvia171:120,59117,235
Spain151:3,116,80265,296
Thailand151:4,709,223352,754
Guyana131:58,6324,970
Pakistan121:14,886,99061,272
Turkey121:6,485,118119,359
Bermuda101:6,5281,005
Taiwan101:2,344,47514,894
Mozambique91:3,029,0632,946
Nigeria91:19,682,529291,344
Saint Lucia91:19,8651,494
Denmark81:705,58939,626
Israel81:1,069,70462,476
Cayman Islands71:9,1281,205
Liberia71:629,79127,063
Norway61:857,04855,549
Belarus51:1,900,21297,012
Honduras51:1,763,2885,823
United Arab Emirates51:1,832,45558,414
Bahrain41:337,1526,054
Barbados41:71,8621,737
Fiji41:223,5982,635
Grenada41:27,1341,180
Morocco41:8,619,02573,251
Saudi Arabia41:7,713,95437,548
Swaziland41:324,550996
United States Virgin Islands41:27,5943,273
Vanuatu41:65,8191,151
Chile31:5,872,15852,204
Cyprus31:294,9598,690
Hong Kong31:2,445,1619,595
Italy31:20,385,563143,117
Ivory Coast31:7,690,41157,263
Japan31:42,614,76459,022
Kenya31:15,393,30077,493
Mexico31:41,375,40271,397
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Azerbaijan21:4,824,56142,415
Colombia21:23,887,03632,612
Czechia21:5,316,734169,646
Greece21:5,539,895129,142
Kazakhstan21:8,841,248174,813
Oman21:1,843,9869,590
Saint Kitts and Nevis21:27,6001,126
South Korea21:25,620,1284,175
Venezuela21:15,102,03869,873
Zimbabwe21:7,719,120118,432
Algeria11:38,631,551130,422
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Austria11:8,515,435118,036
Belgium11:11,496,644167,539
Bhutan11:616,0391,715
Bosnia and Herzegovina11:3,536,40219,532
Cuba11:11,522,71617,380
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
El Salvador11:6,343,8888,415
Estonia11:1,321,80440,178
Ghana11:27,020,69223,742
Haiti11:10,683,90724,607
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Iraq11:35,021,65431,813
Kyrgyzstan11:5,972,65499,197
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Madagascar11:23,649,8379,420
Mali11:16,969,0354,067
Malta11:430,2723,380
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Paraguay11:7,236,74616,511
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
Poland11:38,008,749231,653
Portugal11:10,418,24125,048
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Togo11:7,247,76812,049
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland6011:7,3711,135
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Scotland2,5131:1,490275
England1,3981:17,4362,528
Wales641:24,5071,407
Jersey221:2,358391
Isle of Man31:18,0901,402
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States4,1901:11,9851,550

Neil (626,848) may also be a first name.

Neil Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

(1) This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Eleanor,' from nick. Nell, (a) Bapt. 'the son of Neil.' There can be no doubt that both Eleanor and Neil are parents of Nelson; v. Neil. There are many instances in the Hundred Rolls.

Nel Fawkes, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John fil. Nel, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Adam Nel, Oxfordshire, ibid.

William Neleson. Rolls of Parliament.

Thomas Nelson, or Neilson, Yorkshire: Corpus Christi Guild (Surtees Society).

Thomas Nellson, 1379: Poll Tax of Howdenshire.

1554. Buried — Mother Nelson: Reg. Kensington Parish.

1687. Henry Nelson (Hertfordshire) and Sarah Raby (Cambridgeshire): Marriage Alleg. (Canterbury).

1740. Buried — James Nelson, in the Vault: St. Peter, Cornhill.

Although we now spell the nick. Nell, as in 'Little Nell,' nevertheless Nel has been the prevailing form through all the last six centuries.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

Gaelic Niall, EG. Niall, Latinized (gen.) by Adamnan (VC., I, 49) Nellie is a diminutive of Irish Nia, 'champion.' Niall was borrowed by the Norsemen and appears in their language as Njall and Njal. Among the Normans in France the name became Nesie or Nile, and by them it was introduced into England and appears in Domesday Book. In England the name was Latinized Nigellus on the supposition that it meant 'black,' and in this form is the soerce of Scottish Nigel. Achyne mac Nele attested the bounds of the Grange of Kircwynni and land of Culwen in Kirkgunzeon, 1289 (Holm Cultram, p. 88). John Nele was witness in Irvine, 1455 (Irvine, I, p. 147), and Thomas Nele was bailie of bergh of Are, 1507 (Ayr, p. 37). The family of Neill of Barnwell, Ayrshire claim descent from a cadet of Macneil of Barra, c. 1550, who is said to have settled in Ayrshire. In Galloway, Neil, it is said, was sometimes used as a shortening of Macneillie, which see. As forename: Nile Hog, member of council of Stirling, 1557 (SBR., p. 378).

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(Celtic) Champion [Irish and Gaelic Niall] This name was borrowed by the Scandinavians as Njáll, Njál, and Latinized in England as Nigellus.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) Descendant of Neil (champion).

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

The son of Nigel. A Norman personal name.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Dark complexion.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

In the Cornish-British signifies power, might, that is, the powerful or mighty. Nevl or Nial, in the Gaelic, signifies a cloud or hue; figuratively, a dark complexion.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

The son of Neil or Nel.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

Nelson is a name found in Cumberland and Westmoreland, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Lincoln, and Norfolk. The naval hero of the name was son of a Norfolk rector. Nelson is a Lancashire town.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

The Fairhurst Nelsons, who owned Fairhurst Hall, Eccleston, during the last and in the present century, belong to aw ancient family, a branch of which held lands in Mawdesley as far back as the reign of Richard II. Nelson is a Lancashire town. Richard Nelson was mayor of Lancaster in 1512 (H. L.).

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Neil Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Neil Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Neil (Arabic: نييل, Georgian: ნეილ, Hindi: नील, Marathi: नील, Oriya: େନଲ, Russian: Неил) is more frequently found in The United States than any other country/territory. It can be found in the variant forms:. For other possible spellings of this last name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Neil? popularity and diffusion

The surname is the 15,469th most frequently held surname worldwide, borne by approximately 1 in 202,173 people. The surname Neil is mostly found in The Americas, where 54 percent of Neil live; 48 percent live in North America and 47 percent live in Anglo-North America. It is also the 1,565th most frequent first name world-wide. It is borne by 626,848 people.

It is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 13,387 people, or 1 in 27,075. In The United States Neil is primarily found in: California, where 10 percent reside, New York, where 6 percent reside and Pennsylvania, where 6 percent reside. Not including The United States this last name is found in 118 countries. It is also found in England, where 12 percent reside and Australia, where 11 percent reside.

Neil Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Neil has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Neil last name increased 319 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it increased 299 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it increased 112 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it increased 272 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it declined 91 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Neil Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those holding the surname is primarily Catholic (79%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the Neil last name are 10.78% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 57.55% being registered with the party.

The amount Neil earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 285.73% more than the national average, earning 1,334,940 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 0.85% more than the national average, earning R 239,652 per year; in United States they earn 2.19% more than the national average, earning $44,095 USD per year and in Canada they earn 1.27% more than the national average, earning $50,313 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Neill8932,863/
Neild892,302/
Nesil89604/
Neile89176/
Nheil89104/
Nejil896/
Neisl896/
Netil895/
Neuil894/
Gneil892/
Neyil892/
Necil892/
Neiil891/
Neitl891/
Nneil891/
Neial890/
Nessil80324/
Neisel80152/
Neille80132/
Neuilh809/
Neihal807/
Nehial804/
Neyile804/
'Neile804/
Nesiel802/
Neitel802/
N'Eile801/
Neusil801/
Gneill801/
Hnetil801/
Neišel801/
Neiale801/
D'Neil801/
Neilhe801/
Gnetil801/
Neicel800/
Neisle800/
Noel75240,252/
Neal75147,864/
Neel7518,049/
Nail7517,073/
Nile7514,394/
Niel757,826/
Nael754,848/
Noil754,801/
Ngel751,720/
Nele751,675/
Nuel751,556/
Neul75627/
Ngil75299/
Nuil75154/
Nelh75113/
Nilh7588/
Neyl7574/
Nhel7524/
Nyel7522/
Nõel7512/
Nitl7510/
Nejl758/
Nhil757/
Netl754/
Neichel73302/
Neissel7333/
Neilova7313/
Neutill738/
Neihold737/
Neilová733/
Neihule731/
Neihill730/
Neale6727,620/
Nehal6713,935/
Nayel6713,511/
Nhiel674,758/
Noell673,052/
Nouel672,163/
Nelle672,137/
Natel671,597/
Nasil67921/
Neall67911/
Niell67873/
Naill67820/
Necel67806/
Naile67755/
Nille67664/
Neele67647/
Najil67639/
Naiel67611/
Nejal67543/
Nayil67478/
Nisel67473/
Nágel67444/
Nowel67436/
Noyel67322/
Gnele67238/
Nuell67227/
Niyal67195/
Netel67192/
Nesle67187/
Noial67172/
Nawel67127/
Natil67121/
Nnile67120/
Nasel67118/
Nacel6794/
Nettl6787/
Nesel6784/
Neule6781/
Noiel6775/
Nacil6774/
Ngoel6773/
Nijal6769/
Neijssel6766/
Nißel6757/
Neyal6755/
Nitel6755/
Nicel6752/
Nejel6751/
Nõgel6750/
Nášel6746/
Nisil6744/
Gnile6744/
Naail6742/
Nnele6742/
Nijil6741/
Nhele6737/
Najel6736/
Nauel6736/
Neyle6735/
Neihsiel6729/
Ngell6725/
Nitil6721/
Neyol6721/
Nojel6719/
Nyiel6719/
Noile6717/
Naial6715/
Nijel6715/
Neuel6715/
Nhail6715/
Nyial6714/
Naiul6713/
Niyel6713/
Nógel6713/
Ngail6713/
Ngoil6712/
Nealt6711/
Nittl6710/
Nuijl679/
Neeal678/
Neell678/
Noitl678/
Neuschil678/
Neald676/
Hngel676/
Niyol675/
Ngael675/
Noyil675/
Nejol675/
Néill674/
Naiol673/
Nujil673/
Nailh673/
Neiolova672/
Neual672/
Neull672/
Nyell672/
Neelh672/
Nelhs672/
Nheel672/
Naell672/
Nhile672/
Ngeel672/
Nelhz672/
Nilhe672/
Nieal671/
Naisl671/
N'Gel671/
Netll671/
Ngill671/
Neiholdt671/
Neillová671/
Nelhe671/
Nicil671/
Nheal671/
Neuld671/
Nealh671/
Nehàl671/
Hnail671/
Noill671/
Naiyl671/
Nethl671/
Neßel671/
Nieyl671/
Nijol671/
Nàwel671/
'Nele671/
Hneal671/
Nytel671/
Nehyl671/
Nujel671/
Neichill670/
Neal-670/
Nilhs670/
Nuehl670/

Neil Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Neil in the Georgian language
ნეილneil-
Neil in the Hindi language
नीलnila-
Neil in the Oriya language
େନଲenala-
Neil in the Marathi language
नीलnila70.25
नेलnela12.03
नेईलne'ila11.39
नेइलne'ila5.06
नीळnila0.63
Neil in the Russian language
Неилneil-
Neil in the Arabic language
نييلnyyl-
نيلnyl-

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Neil Reference & Research

Association of O'Neill Clans - The Association of O'Neill Clans is a member of Clans of Ireland and is a point of contact for all O'Neill's who are interested in the History, Genealogy, DNA of the O'Neill's.

MacNeil FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

O'Neill FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

MacNeil FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

O'Neill FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Neil
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis