Explore the Family Name Neal
The meaning of Neal
1. English (of Norman origin): from the Old French, Anglo-Norman French, and Middle English personal name Neel, Nele, Nihel, Niel, itself derived from the Latin name Nigellus (a diminutive of Latin niger ‘black’), originally a nickname for someone with black hair or a dark complexion. The name was very common among Normans and was brought to England at the time of the Norman Conquest. There has been considerable confusion with the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Niall (see Neil); the two names are now pronounced identically. It is theoretically possible that in Normandy, where the personal name was popular, that it was also used for Old Norse Njáll, but this is difficult to prove. Njáll was adopted from the Irish Gaelic personal name Niall by Vikings in Ireland, who took it back to Iceland and Norway, but whether the Vikings also took Njáll to Normandy and to the northwest of England, is an open question, which cannot be settled on the available evidence. 2. English: alternatively from the Middle English personal name Nele, a variant of Nell as a pet form of Elias (see Ellis). Compare Nelson, Nielson. 3. Scottish and Irish: shortened form of McNeal (see McNeil).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Neal in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Neal has slightly declined over a decade. In 2000, Neal was ranked as the 333rd most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 337th position, marking a 1.2% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Neal surname increased from 83,849 in 2000 to 91,694 in 2010, indicating a growth of 9.36%. The proportion of Neals per 100,000 people, however, remained consistent at 31.08.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #333 | #337 | -1.2% |
| Count | 83,849 | 91,694 | 9.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 31.08 | 31.08 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Neal
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Neal. Over the decade from 2000 to 2010, the percentage of Neals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw an increase of 42.86%, while those identifying as two or more races experienced a rise of 41.85%. The percentage of Neals of Hispanic ethnicity also saw substantial growth, increasing by 51.05%. On the other hand, those identifying as White saw a slight decrease of 4%. The Black community had a minor increase of 3.01%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native representation decreased slightly by 1.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.69% | 62.1% | -4% |
| Black | 30.91% | 31.84% | 3.01% |
| Two or More Races | 1.84% | 2.61% | 41.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 2.16% | 51.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.68% | -1.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.6% | 42.86% |
Neal 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 Neal is British & Irish, which comprises 52.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Nigerian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.5% |
| French & German | 21.1% |
| Nigerian | 5.5% |
| Other | 20.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Neal
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 Neal have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
What Neal 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 Neal is R-S660, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S660 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kelley, Kelly, Murray, Patterson, Robertson, Collins, Williams, Wilson, Walker, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Neal surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Niall of the Nine Hostages
The spread of haplogroup R-M222 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. Perhaps more myth than man, Niall is said to have been a King of Tara in northwestern Ireland in the late 4th century C.E. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means "descendants of Niall," did in fact trace back to just one man who likely bore haplogroup R-M222, a branch of R-M269.The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.
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 Neal 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.
"Neal" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Neal" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Neal" Surname 27.4%
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.
"Neal" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Neal?
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 Neal are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition