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Irish surname

Neville: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Nuibhíol · Norman 'de Neuville,' 'de Neville,' i.e., of Neville or Neuville, a common place-name in France

Woulfe (1923) gives Neville as an anglicised form of several different Irish and Norman names. His entry de Nuibhíol is a Norman name from the French place-name Neville or Neuville; the family settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny. He says the Nevilles of Limerick and Cork are of a different origin. In 1890, 39 Neville birth entries including spelling varieties were registered in Ireland, 27 of them in Munster.

Coat of arms associated with the Neville surname
Irish formde Nuibhíol
MeaningNorman 'de Neuville,' 'de Neville,' i.e., of Neville or Neuville, a common place-name in France
CountiesWexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Limerick
Other spellings2
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Neville crest gifts

Origin of the Neville name

Woulfe, de Nuibhíol: 'Norman de Neuville, de Neville ... This family came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny. The Nevilles of Limerick and Cork are of a different origin.'[1]

  1. 189039 entries including spelling varieties (36 spelled Neville): Leinster 8, Munster 27, Ulster 4.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. WexfordWoulfe: the Norman de Nuibhíol family settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny.[1]
Co. CarlowWoulfe: the Norman de Nuibhíol family settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny.[1]
Co. KilkennyWoulfe: the Norman de Nuibhíol family settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny.[1]
Co. LimerickMatheson 1890: counties in which principally found, Limerick and Cork.[5]
Co. CorkMatheson 1890: principally found in Limerick and Cork; Woulfe's de Néadh is in use in Co. Cork.[5][3]

Other spellings

de Neuville · de Neville[1]

The Neville coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Neville surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Neville surname: questions

What does the surname Neville mean?

Woulfe's entry de Nuibhíol gives Neville as Norman 'de Neuville' or 'de Neville', i.e. of Neville or Neuville, a common place-name in France.[1]

Is Neville an Irish name?

Woulfe gives it several origins in Ireland. The Norman de Nuibhíol family came about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny. He says the Nevilles of Limerick and Cork are of a different origin, citing Ó Niadh (an ancient Kerry family, always anglicised Neville in Kerry and Limerick) and de Néadh (of Neath, in Wales, in use in Co. Cork).[1][2][3]

Is Neville ever used for another Irish name?

Woulfe says Ó Cnáimhín, a Dalcassian name, uses Neville as an anglicised form in parts of West Clare.[4]

Where in Ireland is the Neville name found?

Matheson's 1890 birth index gives Limerick and Cork as the counties in which it was principally found; 27 of the 39 entries including spelling varieties were in Munster.[5]

Sources

  1. de Nuibhíol — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-nuibhiol.php
  2. Ó Niadh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/on/o-niadh.php
  3. de Néadh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-neadh.php
  4. Ó Cnáimhín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cnaimhin.php
  5. Neville — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/neville.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).