Explore the Family Name Mcneil
The meaning of Mcneil
Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Néill, a patronymic from the personal name Niall (genitive Néill), see Neil and also Neilson, which was sometimes substituted for McNeil in Lowland Scotland. History: The Scottish Clan McNeil claims descent from the early Irish king Niall of the Nine Hostages (see O’Neill), and the name is associated in particular with the island of Barra in the Hebrides, having been brought there from Ireland in 1049. Some members of this clan later migrated to Antrim and Derry in Ireland. A different Scottish Clan MacNeill (spelled with two l’s) has a traditional ancestral home on the island of Gigha.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mcneil in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the McNeil surname has seen a slight decrease over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 961st most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to 1018th place, marking a change of -5.93. The count of individuals carrying the surname, however, increased from 33,239 in 2000 to 34,368 in 2010, showing growth of 3.4%. The proportion of people named McNeil per 100,000 population also decreased from 12.32 in 2000 to 11.65 in 2010, a change of -5.44.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #961 | #1,018 | -5.93% |
| Count | 33,239 | 34,368 | 3.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.32 | 11.65 | -5.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mcneil
The ethnicity associated with the McNeil surname has seen some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of McNeils identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 33.33%, while those identifying as two or more races saw an increase of 44.59%. Interestingly, there was a significant rise of 79.85% in the Hispanic category. Those identified as White saw a decrease of -5.22%, dropping from 55.32% to 52.43%. The Black category experienced a small growth of 2.79%, increasing from 40.80% to 41.94%. However, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a decrease of -16.42% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.32% | 52.43% | -5.22% |
| Black | 40.8% | 41.94% | 2.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.34% | 2.41% | 79.85% |
| Two or More Races | 1.57% | 2.27% | 44.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.67% | 0.56% | -16.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% | 33.33% |
Mcneil ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mcneil is British & Irish, which comprises 51.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.0%) and Nigerian (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.3% |
| French & German | 18.0% |
| Nigerian | 5.7% |
| Other | 25.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Mcneil
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mcneil have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 76.60% |
What Mcneil haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mcneil is I-Z74, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z74 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-L205.1 and R-L165, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcneill, Holden, Donaldson, Anderson, Nelson, Mccoy, Gillespie, Johnson, Chambers, Benson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mcneil surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men
If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Mcneil have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mcneil" Surname 41.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mcneil" Surname 31.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mcneil" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mcneil" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mcneil?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mcneil are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition