Surname McNeally - Meaning and Origin
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McNeally: What does the surname McNeally mean?
The last name McNeally is an Anglicised version of the Irish or Scottish surname Mac an Fhailidh, which is derived from the words Mac, meaning "son of," and Fhailidh, meaning "wolf." The surname is thus believed to have originally been given to a "son of the wolf" in the British Isles hundreds of years ago. In Scotland, the name is also thought to be an Anglicisation of the Scots Gaelic Mac an Fhaolaich or Mac an Fhàilghe, both of which mean "son of the watchman."
The name can be found in Ireland as far back as the 15th century, when there were several references to the Mac an Fhailidh sept in Ulster. It is also found in Scotland, where some records document Mac an Fhailidh bearers as far back as the 16th century in Garioch and Banff. By the 19th century, the name McNeally could be found in large numbers throughout County Tyrone, in Ulster.
Today, the name McNeally is still found in both Ulster, in Ireland, and in Scotland. Within these countries, the name is still strongly associated with the counties of Tyrone and Garioch, respectively.
In general, the name McNeally carries with it a sense of ancestry and loyalty. It is a proud name, belonging to the sons of a watchman, a protector, and a loyal leader. It is also a name that still transcribes centuries of dedicated servitude and carries with it a legacy that remains strong today.
Order DNA origin analysisMcNeally: Where does the name McNeally come from?
The last name McNeally is most common in Ireland. In a survey of the 100 most populous countries in the world, Ireland is the 19th most populous with a population of 4.9 million people. Of that population, McNeally is the 39th most common surname. The surname is found predominantly in Counties Donegal, Mayo and Kerry.
McNeally is also found in the United Kingdom, most notably Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the name is the 259th most common surname, while in England and Northern Ireland it is 142nd and 818th respectively.
In the United States, McNeally is the 11,097th most common name. It is primarily concentrated in the state of Maine, where it is the 4,322nd most common name. It is most prominently found in New England, with the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire all having a higher percentage of McNeallys in their populations.
In Australia, McNeally is the 4,347th most common name. It is primarily found in the states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, where it is the 303rd, 376th and 2,192nd most common name respectively.
In Canada, McNeally is the 5,417th most common name. It is most commonly found in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, where it is the 2,783rd, 4,085th and 5,252nd most common name respectively.
Overall, McNeally is a relatively uncommon name outside of Ireland. It is most prominently found in the United Kingdom and the United States, but is also present in Australia and Canada.
Variations of the surname McNeally
McNeally is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (meaning ‘son of the servant’). It is found mainly in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland, but also in County Antrim and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
There are many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin including M'Neally (anglicized form of McNeally), McNealy (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McAnally (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeill (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), O'Neill (anglicized form of Ó Neill, derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh), O'Neall (anglicized form of Ó Neall), McNeel (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeile (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeal (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeillie (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeilly (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), McNeely (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh), and McNalis (anglicized form of Mac an Fhilidh).
The most commonly used variations of the name are McNeally and McNealy. It is also sometimes found as a variant spelling of MacAnally, McAnally, and McNeill.
McNeally is sometimes found as a variant spelling of McNeel, McNeillie, McNeily, McNeely and McNalis. It is also sometimes used as an Americanized form of the Gaelic surname McNeill.
McNealy and McNeill which are both derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh, are sometimes used interchangeably. McNealy is sometimes found as a variant spelling of McNeill.
It is not uncommon to find the surname written as McNeally, MacNeally, and MacanFhilidh. Other variants of the surname include MacNeally, McAnFhilidh, MacanolFhilidh, McNeillie, and MacanFhilidh.
All of these spelling variants, surnames, and other related names are derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh which translates to ‘son of the servant’.
Famous people with the name McNeally
- Jennifer McNeally: American writer, director and producer of television shows, films and documentaries.
- Devin McNeally: former Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Jim McNeally: former soccer midfielder who played in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.
- Edward McNeally: former basketball coach at Drexel University.
- Sean McNeally: Irish artist and playwright.
- Lawrence McNeally: British Army officer and recipient of the Distinguished Service Order.
- Sonny McNeally: founder of The Reactor Room surfwear company.
- Brigid McNeally: travel writer and blogger from Ireland.
- Denise McNeally: American singer.
- Kerri McNeally: American bassoonist and composer.