NameCensus.

UK surname

Neale

Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Néill" meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages.

In the 1881 census there were 7,093 people recorded with the Neale surname, ranking it #600 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,541, ranked #673, down from #600 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Bedworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Nuneaton and Bedworth and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neale is 10,448 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.5%.

1881 census count

7,093

Ranked #600

Modern count

9,541

2016, ranked #673

Peak year

1999

10,448 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neale had 7,093 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #600 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,541 in 2016, ranked #673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,997 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Neale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neale 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 4,506 #628
1861 historical 3,930 #712
1881 historical 7,093 #600
1891 historical 7,234 #622
1901 historical 9,090 #579
1911 historical 9,997 #491
1997 modern 10,020 #619
1998 modern 10,328 #623
1999 modern 10,448 #620
2000 modern 10,333 #624
2001 modern 10,085 #625
2002 modern 10,355 #623
2003 modern 10,033 #631
2004 modern 9,951 #636
2005 modern 9,711 #645
2006 modern 9,582 #655
2007 modern 9,637 #654
2008 modern 9,697 #658
2009 modern 9,903 #657
2010 modern 10,014 #660
2011 modern 9,888 #658
2012 modern 9,622 #662
2013 modern 9,753 #666
2014 modern 9,809 #665
2015 modern 9,631 #670
2016 modern 9,541 #673

Geography

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Where Neales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Bedworth and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Sandwell. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Bedworth Warwickshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 004 Stroud
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 014 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 North Warwickshire 005 North Warwickshire
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Sandwell 022 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neale

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Neale, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Neale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Neale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Neale is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neale is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Neale falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neale 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Neale

The surname Neale originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "nealu" or "nea," meaning "near" or "close by." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Neale" and variations such as "Nelle" and "Neele." These entries suggest the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was William Neale, a 13th-century English landowner and sheriff of Kent. He is mentioned in historical records from the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272).

Another prominent figure was Thomas Neale (c. 1519-1590), an English Catholic scholar and educator who served as the dean of Peterhouse, Cambridge. He played a significant role in the religious debates of the Elizabethan era.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Neale was particularly associated with the county of Berkshire in southern England. Several place names in this region, such as Neale's Green and Neale's Farm, likely derived from individuals bearing this name.

In the 17th century, John Neale (1593-1677) was a prominent English Puritan clergyman and writer. He served as the chaplain to the English forces during the English Civil War and was a prolific author on religious subjects.

Another notable figure was Walter Neale (1616-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1675 to 1678. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Charles II.

The surname Neale has also been associated with several places in England, such as Neale in Cambridgeshire and Neale's Green in Berkshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname who lived or held land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neale 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. Middlesex leads with 934 Neales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.35x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 934 1.35x
Warwickshire 804 4.60x
Surrey 561 1.66x
Gloucestershire 446 3.28x
Norfolk 439 4.12x
Leicestershire 407 5.29x
Staffordshire 346 1.48x
Lancashire 297 0.36x
Kent 258 1.09x
Yorkshire 235 0.34x
Hampshire 189 1.33x
Nottinghamshire 188 2.01x
Worcestershire 160 1.77x
Sussex 139 1.19x
Wiltshire 126 2.05x
Essex 124 0.91x
Dorset 123 2.70x
Derbyshire 118 1.09x
Berkshire 117 2.25x
Devon 103 0.71x
Somerset 102 0.91x
Lincolnshire 98 0.88x
Hertfordshire 76 1.59x
Buckinghamshire 73 1.74x
Suffolk 72 0.85x
Oxfordshire 71 1.66x
Bedfordshire 64 1.78x
Northamptonshire 58 0.89x
Northumberland 46 0.45x
Cheshire 34 0.22x
Glamorgan 34 0.28x
Herefordshire 30 1.06x
Cambridgeshire 28 0.64x
Rutland 24 4.71x
Cumberland 23 0.39x
Monmouthshire 22 0.44x
Cornwall 19 0.24x
Shropshire 19 0.32x
Durham 18 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 16 1.16x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.54x
Channel Islands 10 0.49x
Cardiganshire 8 0.47x
Midlothian 8 0.09x
Royal Navy 7 0.85x
Lanarkshire 3 0.01x
Westmorland 3 0.20x
Angus 2 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.07x
Denbighshire 2 0.08x
East Lothian 2 0.22x
Inverness-shire 2 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.13x
Anglesey 1 0.08x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Brecknockshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 243 Neales recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.17x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 243 4.17x
Aston 143 2.97x
Bedworth 109 85.42x
St Pancras London 109 1.95x
Leicester St Margaret 102 5.44x
Lambeth 95 1.57x
Newington 85 3.32x
Nottingham St Mary 69 2.85x
Harborne 67 8.93x
Shoreditch London 67 2.23x
Camberwell 66 1.49x
Hackney London 57 1.47x
Bermondsey 56 2.71x
West Bromwich 55 4.10x
Kensington London 49 1.27x
Leicester St Mary 49 7.89x
Islington London 42 0.62x
St Marylebone London 39 1.05x
Battersea 38 1.49x
West Ham 38 1.26x
Wolverhampton 38 2.11x
Bethnal Green London 36 1.20x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 33 2.58x
Coventry St Michael 33 5.87x
Hampstead London 33 3.06x
Maidstone 33 4.68x
Liverpool 31 0.62x
Mile End Old Town 31 2.83x
Croydon 30 1.60x
Heigham 30 5.24x
Everton 29 1.11x
Hammersmith London 29 1.70x
Paddington London 28 1.10x
Portsea 28 1.01x
Bedminster 27 2.57x
Edmonton 27 4.83x
Handsworth 27 4.68x
Sharrington 27 526.32x
Coventry Holy Trinity 26 4.98x
Deptford St Paul 26 1.42x
Nymphsfield 26 404.35x
Southwark St George Martyr 26 1.86x
St George Hanover 26 2.87x
Bow London 25 2.83x
Cheltenham 25 2.38x
Stoke Upon Trent 25 1.01x
Watford 25 6.75x
Cumnor 24 100.00x
Fulmodestone Cum Croxton 24 280.05x
Sherston Magna 24 64.95x
Aylesbury 23 12.38x
Kings Norton 23 2.83x
Aston Cantlow 22 84.10x
Bootle Cum Linacre 22 3.37x
Great Yarmouth 22 2.49x
Old Stratford 22 22.22x
Reading St Giles 22 4.31x
Clerkenwell London 21 1.28x
Froyle 21 115.83x
Kimcote Knaptoft 21 198.30x
Kingstanley 21 41.79x
Berkeley 20 26.43x
Limehouse London 20 2.63x
Walcot 20 3.36x
West Derby 20 0.83x
Westbury On Trym 20 4.34x
Clapham 19 2.19x
Horsley 19 31.54x
Toxteth Park 19 0.68x
Brimington 18 21.84x
Chelsea London 18 0.86x
Holy Trinity 18 1.09x
Kilby 18 260.49x
Nuneaton 18 8.89x
St George In East 18 3.82x
Thorpe Next Norwich 18 15.93x
Weeting With Broomhill 18 227.85x
Westminster St 18 7.04x
Hanslope 17 45.13x
Mansfield 17 5.26x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Neale surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 409
Elizabeth 282
Sarah 264
Ann 143
Eliza 133
Alice 124
Emma 120
Ellen 112
Jane 107
Annie 102
Emily 93
Hannah 57
Edith 55
Harriet 54
Charlotte 52
Ada 51
Kate 51
Maria 51
Martha 50
Florence 48
Fanny 46
Louisa 45
Susan 45
Caroline 39
Frances 37
Clara 35
Harriett 34
Margaret 31
Rose 27
Agnes 24
Catherine 24
Rebecca 24
Amy 21
Julia 21
Lucy 21
Sophia 21
Anne 20
Matilda 20
Esther 19
Amelia 18
Gertrude 18
Minnie 18
Ethel 16
Lizzie 15
Lydia 15
Susannah 15
Laura 14
Ruth 13
Anna 12
Jessie 12

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Neale surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 439
John 346
George 269
Thomas 244
James 181
Henry 173
Charles 158
Joseph 108
Arthur 104
Edward 87
Frederick 87
Walter 73
Alfred 72
Richard 65
Robert 65
Albert 64
Harry 50
Samuel 49
Frank 37
Ernest 36
Benjamin 25
Edwin 24
Herbert 23
Daniel 21
Francis 21
David 18
Reuben 15
Percy 14
Isaac 12
Peter 11
Tom 11
Wm. 11
Fred 10
Stephen 10
Fredrick 9
Harold 9
Jonathan 8
Thos. 8
Abraham 7
Edgar 7
Edmund 7
Lewis 7
Philip 7
Alexander 6
Andrew 6
Job 6
Sidney 6
Sydney 6
Elijah 5
Jesse 5

FAQ

Neale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,093 people were recorded with the Neale surname. That placed it at #600 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,541 in 2016. That gives Neale a modern rank of #673.

What does the Neale surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Néill" meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages.

What does the Neale map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Neale 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.