Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an
anglicisation of the Irish Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" 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 and
MacNeil 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] The name also entered
Northern England and
Yorkshire directly from Ireland, and from Norwegian settlers. Neal or Neall is the Middle English form of Nigel.
As a first name, during the
Middle Ages, the Gaelic name of Irish origins was popular in Ireland and later 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 Ó Néill and Mac 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 a prefix that already existed in the Irish surname such as
Lóegaire mac Néill. Some Scottish McNeill's returned to Ireland in the 14th century 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]
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given name or the same
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