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O'Neill: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Néill · 'descendant of Niall' (champion)

O'Neill is an anglicised form of the Irish Ó Néill, 'descendant of Niall'. Woulfe (1923) calls the Ulster family 'one of the most illustrious in Ireland': chiefs of Tir Eoghain and Kings of Ulster, who took their name from Niall Glúndubh, King of Ireland, killed in 919. He also records distinct O'Neill families in Thomond, Leinster and the Deisi.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Neill surname
Irish formÓ Néill
Meaning'descendant of Niall' (champion)
CountiesTyrone, Derry, Antrim, Down
Other spellings3

Origin of the O'Neill name

Woulfe names four chief families among several of the name. The chief one, in Ulster, descends from Niall Glúndubh (d. 919); his grandson Domhnall Ó Néill was the first to bear the surname. They headed the Cinel Eoghain, whose territory, Tir Eoghain, covered Tyrone, Derry and much of Donegal. Other families were seated in south Clare, Carlow–Wicklow and south Tipperary.[1]

  1. 919Niall Glúndubh, King of Ireland, falls fighting the Danes near Dublin.[1]
  2. 943Domhnall Ó Néill, first to bear the surname, named in the Annals.[1]
  3. 1542Con Bacagh O'Neill created Earl of Tyrone by Henry VIII.[4]
  4. 1559On Con's death, Shane O'Neill is elected The O'Neill, defying his nephew's claim.[7]
  5. 1598Hugh O'Neill defeats the English at the Yellow Ford, 14 August.[5][8]
  6. 1603Hugh O'Neill submits to the Lord-Deputy at Mellifont, 30 March.[5]
  7. 1607Hugh O'Neill flees to the Continent, taking his nephew Owen Roe.[6]
  8. 1616Hugh O'Neill dies in exile, 20 July, aged 76.[5]
  9. 1649Owen Roe O'Neill dies at Cloughouter Castle, 6 November.[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. TyronePart of Tir Eoghain, the Ulster O'Neills' territory; one of four counties with half of 1890 O'Neill births.[1][2]
Co. DerryPart of Tir Eoghain, the territory of the Cinel Eoghain headed by the O'Neills.[1]
Co. AntrimClann Aodha Bhuidhe, a branch of the Ulster O'Neills, settled here in the 14th century.[1][2]
Co. DownClann Aodha Bhuidhe also settled in Down in the 14th century.[1]
Co. ClareÓ Néill of Thomond, a Dalcassian family, were chiefs of Clann Dealbhaoith (barony of Bunratty).[1]
Co. CarlowÓ Néill of Leinster held Magh-dá-chon (Moyacomb), barony of Rathvilly.[1]
Co. WicklowTheir patrimony, Moyacomb (Magh-dá-chon), extended from Co. Carlow into the barony of Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow.[1]
Co. TipperaryÓ Néill of Deisi were seated in the south of the county.[1]
Co. DublinWith Antrim, Cork and Tyrone, held half of all O'Neill births in 1890.[2]
Co. CorkWith Dublin, Antrim and Tyrone, held half of all O'Neill births in 1890.[2]

Notable people named O'Neill

Con Bacagh O'Neilld. 1559Inaugurated The O'Neill in 1519; created Earl of Tyrone in 1542, renouncing the name of O'Neill.[4]
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyronec. 1540–1616Led the O'Neill war until 1603; victor at the Yellow Ford; died in exile.[5]
Owen Roe O'Neillc. 1599–1649Nephew of Hugh; Spanish army officer; General of the Ulster Irish 1642–1649; won at Benburb.[6]

Other spellings

O'Neal · Neill · Neale[1]

The O'Neill coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Neill 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.

O'Neill crest gifts

Clan Neill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap KA78 Neill Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Neill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Oneill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQA50 Classic Cap - Oneill Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Oneill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Neill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFW13 Classic Cap - Neill Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Neill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Oneill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap DG24 Oneill Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Oneill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45

O'Neill surname: questions

What does the surname O'Neill mean?

Woulfe gives O'Neill as an anglicised form of Ó Néill, 'descendant of Niall', and glosses the name Niall as 'champion'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the O'Neill name from?

Woulfe's chief family was in Ulster, in Tir Eoghain (Tyrone, Derry and much of Donegal), with a branch in Antrim and Down. He also records distinct families in south Clare, Carlow–Wicklow and south Tipperary.[1]

Are O'Neill and Neill the same name?

Woulfe lists O'Neill, O'Neal, Neill and Neale as anglicised forms of Ó Néill. Matheson's 1890 birth indexes counted O'Neill (407 entries with variant spellings) and Neill (244) separately.[1][2][3]

Who was Hugh O'Neill?

According to Webb, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (born about 1540), took the title The O'Neill in 1595, defeated the English at the Yellow Ford in 1598, submitted at Mellifont in 1603, left Ireland in 1607 and died in exile in 1616.[5][6][8]

Sources

  1. Ó Néill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/on/o-neill.php
  2. O'Neill – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909; 1890 birth indexes), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/oneill.php
  3. Neill – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909; 1890 birth indexes), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/neill.php
  4. Con Bacagh O'Neill — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ConBacaghONeill.php
  5. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HughONeillEarlofTyrone.php
  6. Owen Roe O'Neill — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/OwenRoeONeill.php
  7. Shane O'Neill — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ShaneONeill.php
  8. Hugh Maguire, Lord of Fermanagh — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HughMaguireLordofFermanagh.php

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