Surname McNeilly - Meaning and Origin

McNeilly: What does the surname McNeilly mean?

The surname McNeilly is of Scottish and Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Neill" which means "champion" or "cloud", with the prefix 'Mc' signifying 'son of'. Thus, McNeilly can be interpreted as 'son of Neill' or 'son of a champion.' This surname was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), a historic county, located on the southwestern coast of Scotland. Over the years, variations of the name have evolved, including Nellis, Nelles, Nillis, and others. Like many surnames, family members may have migrated, spreading the name to other parts of Scotland, Ireland, and to other countries, particularly to those involved in the wide Irish and Scottish diasporas like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

McNeilly: Where does the name McNeilly come from?

The surname McNeilly is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac an Fhileadh," which translates to "son of the poet" in English. It is a patronymic surname that was initially given to individuals known for poetic or artistic abilities in their communities.

This name evolved from the Gaelic name "Mac an Fhileadh" to MacNeilly to its modern form, McNeilly, after being influenced by a variety of spelling variations due to the translation process from Gaelic to English.

Despite the various changes to the name throughout history, the surname McNeilly still holds connections to its Gaelic roots and the culture of Ireland. Today, the surname McNeilly is most common in Northern Ireland, followed by Scotland, Australia, United States, and Canada. In these countries, descendants of the original Gaelic tribes have spread and established communities, spreading the McNeilly surname along with them.

Variations of the surname McNeilly

The surname McNeilly is of Irish origin and it has evolved drastically over time, resulting in numerous variations in its spelling. Common variants include McNeil, MacNeilly, McNeely, MacNelly, McNeilley, and McNeely. Other variations of the name that derive from the original spelling include McNeill, MacNeill, McNelly, and MacNelly.

The name is a combination of the Celtic prefix 'Mac' or 'Mc', meaning 'son of', and 'Neill', which translates to 'champion', making the whole name mean 'son of the champion'.

Combining the prefixes with the root 'Neil' has led to other variants such as MacNeil, MacNeill, MacNeale and MacNeal. In addition, the Anglicised version Neill, also has its variations like Neale, Neal, Neil, Neille, Neales, and Neils.

Often, individuals emigrating from Ireland to English-speaking countries would often change the spelling of their names to fit more English norms. This has led to a number of variants of McNeilly, like Mackneil, Macknelly, MacNellie, Macneale, or even dropping the prefix resulting in just Neil or Nealy.

Overall, the many variants of McNeilly are a testament to the name's rich history and its evolution over decades owing to geographic and linguistic influences.

Famous people with the name McNeilly

• Graham McNeilly: Scottish actor who has starred in various films such as The Limey (1999), Vertical Limit (2000) and Sweet Sixteen (2002).
• Hal McNeilly: American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the rock group The Fixx.
• Mike McNeilly: professional American golfer who has won several tournaments on the PGA Tour.
• Andrew McNeilly: Canadian billionaire and investor, the majority shareholder of McNeilly Investment Holdings.
• Megan McNeilly: Canadian ballerina and actress, best known for her roles on the television series The Haunting Hour and Lost Girl.
• David J. McNeilly: former United States police lieutenant and criminal justice professor at the Florida Institute of Technology.
• Joe McNeilly: former American football player who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969-1971.
• Rosemary McNeilly: chair of legal studies at the University of Birmingham, specializing in public international law, human rights, and corporate social responsibility.
• Stephan McNeilly: author of two best-selling books and one of the leading management consultants in the U.K.
• Fiona McNeilly: basketball coach, best known as the current head coach of the Scotland women's national basketball team.

Other surnames

McNeilMcNeillMcNeily