Contents [hide]

Neal History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Neal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Neal

What does the name Neal mean?

The name Neal was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Neal family lived in Berkshire where Willelmus filius Nigelli was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 While this may seem like a stretch form the modern day spellings of the name, we must remember that name entries at this time were in Latin. In fact later, another Willelmus Nigelli was listed in Wiltshire according to the Feet of Fines for 1195. "The name was carried to Iceland by the Scandinavians as Njáll, taken to Norway, then to France and brought to England by the Normans. It was also introduced direct into north-west England and Yorkshire by Norwegians from Ireland. " 2

Early Origins of the Neal family

The surname Neal was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the manor of Grittleton, pre-Conquest called Grutelington (940 AD) and by the Domesday Book in 1086, the place name had changed to Gretelintone. 1 The parish of Grittleton included the Glastonbury Abbey, one of the richest churches in England at that time. At the time of the Conquest, the lands were held by Urso from the Bishop of Coutance, conjecturally the ancestor of this distinguished family.

Early History of the Neal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neal research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1641, 1678, 1699, 1743, 1754, 1789, 1805, 1828, 1836, 1845, 1846, 1850, 1857, 1891, 1894, 1895, 1900, 1950 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Neal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neal Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Neeld, Neald, Neild, Nield, Nields, Neelde, Nealde, Neilde, Nielde, Neele and many more.

Early Notables of the Neal family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Daniel Neal (1678-1743), an English historian

Neal World Ranking

In the United States, the name Neal is the 271^st most popular surname with an estimated 96,993 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Neal is ranked the 760^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,128 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Neal is the 443^rd popular surname with an estimated 1,535 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Neal as 568^th with 11,434 people. 6

Neal migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Neal or a variant listed above:

Neal Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Neal, who arrived in America in 1620 7
Francis Neal, who settled in Maine in 1630
Peter and Walter Neal, who settled in New Hampshire in 1631
Walter Neal, who arrived in New England in 1631 7
Henry Neal, who arrived in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1642 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicolas Neal, who landed in Virginia in 1703 7
Cha Neal, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 7
Mary Neal, who arrived in New England in 1734 7
Edward Neal, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 7
John Neal, aged 28, who arrived in New Jersey in 1775 7

Neal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Arthur Neal, aged 23, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 7
Frank Neal, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 7
Roger Neal, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 7
Barnard Neal, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1812 7
Joseph Neal, aged 45, who landed in South Carolina in 1812 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neal Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Edwin C. Neal, (b. 1866), aged 34, Cornish stonecutter, from Penryn, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th August 1900 en route to Barre City, Vermont, USA 8
Mr. William T. Neal, (b. 1884), aged 20, American miner returning from Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th April 1904 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 8

Neal migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Neal Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

James Neal, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Wilm Neal, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Charles Neal, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Francis Neal, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Fras Neal, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neal Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Neal, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1802
Michael James Neal, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1805
Jane Neal, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1818
Richard Neal, who arrived in Canada in 1832
Catherine Neal, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neal migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Neal Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel Neal, (O'Neal, Neile, Neale, Neil), (b. 1783), aged 31, Irish blacksmith who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Canada" on 5th December 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1862 9
Mr. John Neal, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Richard Neal, British Convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Patrick Neal, (Neil), (b. 1796), aged 24, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Patrick Neal, (b. 1793), aged 27, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Neal migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Neal Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Amelia Neal, aged 25, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
William Neal, aged 9, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
George Neal, aged 6, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
Charles Neal, aged 4, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
Ellen Neal, aged 2, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Neal (post 1700) +

Bill Neal (1931-2024), American college football player and head football coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1978
John Neal (1793-1876), American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist, author of Rachel Dyer: A North American Story, the first bound novel about the Salem witch trials in 1825
Idotha "Bootsie" Neal (1953-1954), American politician and developer in Dayton, Ohio, USA, member of the Democratic Party
William Elmer Neal (1875-1959), American Republican politician, Chair of Cabell County Republican Party, 1917; Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, 1925-28 13
Joseph H. Neal (1950-2017), American politician, Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1993-2017)
James Foster Neal (1929-2010), American trial lawyer who prosecuted labor leader Jimmy Hoffa and top officials of the Nixon Administration in the Watergate scandal
Jacqueline "Jackie" Neal (1967-2005), American blues singer who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend
Gary Neal (b. 1984), American professional basketball player
Charles Lenard "Charlie" Neal (1931-1996), American Major League Baseball second baseman who played from 1956 to 1963
James Ellerbe "Daddy" and "Jim" Neal (1930-2011), American NBA basketball player
... (Another 102 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Neal family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Ronald W Neal (b. 1918), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Basford, Nottinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14
Mr. Edward R Neal (b. 1915), English Supply Assistant serving for the Royal Navy from Swindon, Wiltshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14

RMS Titanic

Mr. Henry Neal, aged 25, English Baker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 13 15

USS Arizona

Mr. Tom Dick Neal, American Seaman First Class from Texas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 16

USS Indianapolis

Charles Keith Neal, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 17
George M. Neal, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 17
William Frank Neal, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 17

The Neal Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nomen extendere factis
Motto Translation: The name matches the deed

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew