Neil

For people named Neil, see Neil (name). For other uses, see Neil (disambiguation).

Neil is a masculine given name of Gaelic origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Gaelic name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", or "champion".^[1] As a surname, Neil is traced back to Niall of the Nine Hostages who was an Irish king and eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill kindred. Most authorities cite the meaning of Neil in the context of a surname as meaning champion.

Origins

The Gaelic name was adopted by the Vikings and taken to Iceland as Njáll (see Nigel). From Iceland it went via Norway, Denmark, and Normandy to England.^[2] It was first mistakenly being translated into Latin as Nigellus from Niger, meaning black. The name also entered Northern England and Yorkshire directly from Ireland with Norwegian settlers. Neal or Neal is the Middle English form of Nigel.

During the Middle Ages, the Gaelic name was popular in Ireland and Scotland. During the 20th century Neil began to be used in England and North America, and grew in popularity throughout the English-speaking world; however, in England, it has recently been eclipsed by the Gaelic form.^[1]

The surname Neil is a reduced form of the surname McNeil (from the Gaelic Mac Néill, "son of Niall"), or variant form the surname of Neill (from the Irish Gaelic Ó Néill or the Scottish Gaelic Mac Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall" and "son of Niall".^[3][4][5]

The name passed from Ireland to Scotland where it had the Mc/Mac prefix. Scottish Catholic McNeill's returned to Ireland in the 1300's and are associated with MacNeill, MacGreal, MacReill, and Mag Reil surnames.^[6]

The Manx version of the name is Kneal (1598), Kneale (1655), or Kneel (1636). It evolved from McNelle (1408) and MacNeyll (1430) becoming Kneal by 1598.^[7]. The name is believed to have been bought to the island by Norwegian Vikings.

In some cases, the English-language surnames Neilson and Nelson, are ultimately derived from the Gaelic Niall, as patronymic forms of the Anglo-Scandinavian personal names Nel or Neal. However, these two surnames are sometimes Americanized forms of unrelated Scandinavian-language surnames. For example, the English Nelson is sometimes derived from the Norwegian Nilsen, the Danish and German Nielsen, and the Swedish Nilsson. Also, the English Neilson is sometimes derived from the Swedish Nilsson. All these Scandinavian-language surnames are ultimately derived from a cognate of the English given name Nicholas.^[8] The English Nelson may also be derived from the feminine name Eleanor, as a matronymic.^[9][10]

Variants

Variants of the given name include: Neale and Neal.^[1]

The table below sets out the various surnames derived from Niall

Name	Type	Year	Country of origin	Mentioned
MacNele		1289	Scotland	[11]
Neel		1170-1182	England	York Charters
Neil		1260	England	Assize Rolls, Yorks
Nele		1304	England	Subsidy Rolls, Yorks
Nigelli		1195	England	Feet of Fines, Warwicks
Nel, Neel		1208-1210	England	Curia Regis Rolls, Berkshire

See also

• List of Irish-language given names
• List of Scottish Gaelic given names
• Niall, Gaelic form
• Nigel, given name
• Kneale, MacNeil, McNeil, Neale, Neill, Nelson, O'Neill, surnames

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 203-204, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1 .
2. ^ P H Reaney, A Dictionary of British Surnames, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1976, London.
3. ^ "Neil Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/facts/Neil-name-meaning.ashx. Retrieved August 3, 2009.  For the etymology of the surname Neil this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
4. ^ "Neill Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/facts/Neill-name-meaning.ashx. Retrieved August 3, 2009.  For the etymology of the surname Neill this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
5. ^ "McNeil Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/facts/McNeil-name-meaning.ashx. Retrieved August 3, 2009.  For the etymology of the surname McNeil this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
6. ^ Edward MacLysaght, More Irish Family Names, Irish Academic Press, 1996, Dublin
7. ^ A W Moore, Manx Names, London 1903
8. ^ "Learn about the family history of your surname". Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?. Retrieved 23 September 2011. . For the surnames Neilson, Nelson, Nielsen, Nilsen, Nilsson, this website cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 .
9. ^ Charles Wareing Bardsley MA, English Surnames, Chatto and Windus, 1889, London, p73
10. ^ E M Matthews, English Surnames, Weiferfield and Nicholson, London, 1966, pp218-219
11. ^ G F Black, Surnames of Scotland, New York, 1946