NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcneilly

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Niallan" meaning "champion" or "descendant of Niall".

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Mcneilly surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 523, ranked #9,679, up from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Dalziel and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkshaws, Powys and Dundyvan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcneilly is 557 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 315.1%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

523

2016, ranked #9,679

Peak year

2010

557 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcneilly had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 523 in 2016, ranked #9,679.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcneilly surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcneilly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcneilly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcneilly over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 52 #23,915
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 211 #14,366
1901 historical 238 #13,528
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 509 #9,181
1998 modern 541 #9,044
1999 modern 538 #9,134
2000 modern 517 #9,384
2001 modern 509 #9,323
2002 modern 516 #9,432
2003 modern 533 #9,050
2004 modern 544 #8,933
2005 modern 523 #9,145
2006 modern 513 #9,305
2007 modern 528 #9,174
2008 modern 533 #9,182
2009 modern 540 #9,294
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 531 #9,524
2012 modern 536 #9,361
2013 modern 547 #9,375
2014 modern 553 #9,343
2015 modern 534 #9,543
2016 modern 523 #9,679

Geography

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Where Mcneillys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Dalziel, Govan Combination, Glasgow and Dalry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkshaws, Powys, Dundyvan, Shawhead and Whifflet and Greenend and Carnbroe. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Dalziel Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalry Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
2 Powys 004 Powys
3 Dundyvan North Lanarkshire
4 Shawhead and Whifflet North Lanarkshire
5 Greenend and Carnbroe North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcneilly

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcneilly surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcneilly

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcneilly, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcneilly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcneilly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcneilly is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcneilly is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcneilly falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcneilly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcneilly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcneilly

The surname McNeilly originated in Scotland in the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac an Aillidh, meaning "son of the green warrior" or "son of the handsome one." The earliest recorded spelling is McNeillie, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1494.

The name is believed to have originated in Ayrshire, a county in the southwestern region of Scotland. It was particularly prominent in the parish of Kilwinning, where the McNeillys were landowners and part of the local gentry. The name is also associated with the nearby islands of Arran and Bute.

In the 16th century, a branch of the McNeilly family settled in County Antrim, Ireland. This was during the Plantation of Ulster, when Scottish settlers were granted land in the northern Irish province. The name is still found in Antrim today, particularly around the town of Ballymoney.

One of the earliest recorded McNeillys is John McNeilly, a merchant and burgess of Irvine, Ayrshire, who is mentioned in various records from the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Alexander McNeilly (1617-1679), a Presbyterian minister and poet from Kilwinning.

In the 17th century, Robert McNeilly (1640-1712) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Ayrshire. He served as Provost of Irvine and was instrumental in the town's economic development. His son, also named Robert (1672-1737), was a noted mathematician and astronomer.

During the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, the philosopher and moral theorist Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746) was born into the McNeilly family in Saintfield, County Down, Ireland. He later anglicized his surname to Hutcheson.

Other notable McNeillys include Andrew McNeilly (1795-1875), a shipbuilder and businessman in Greenock, Scotland, and John McNeilly (1831-1904), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcneilly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcneilly surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Ayrshire leads with 3 Mcneillys recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.99x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 3 136.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalmellington in Ayrshire leads with 3 Mcneillys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Dalmellington 3 5000.00x

FAQ

Mcneilly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcneilly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Mcneilly surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcneilly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 523 in 2016. That gives Mcneilly a modern rank of #9,679.

What does the Mcneilly surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Niallan" meaning "champion" or "descendant of Niall".

What does the Mcneilly map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcneilly bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.