NameCensus.

UK surname

Neely

Derived from Irish and Scottish Gaelic "Ó Néill," meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name meaning "champion."

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Neely surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 587, ranked #8,864, up from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Radcliffe, Glasgow and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Keppochhill and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neely is 595 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 672.4%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

587

2016, ranked #8,864

Peak year

2014

595 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neely had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 587 in 2016, ranked #8,864.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 145 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Neely surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neely surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neely 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 507 #9,204
1998 modern 514 #9,383
1999 modern 524 #9,319
2000 modern 525 #9,284
2001 modern 502 #9,440
2002 modern 523 #9,344
2003 modern 527 #9,137
2004 modern 530 #9,117
2005 modern 512 #9,286
2006 modern 504 #9,432
2007 modern 529 #9,160
2008 modern 534 #9,168
2009 modern 542 #9,269
2010 modern 558 #9,260
2011 modern 570 #9,019
2012 modern 564 #9,014
2013 modern 586 #8,883
2014 modern 595 #8,857
2015 modern 587 #8,875
2016 modern 587 #8,864

Geography

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Where Neelys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Radcliffe, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cambusnethan and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Keppochhill, Breckland, Fernhill and Cathkin and Vicarland and Cairns. 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 Radcliffe Lancashire
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Cambusnethan Lanark
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 002 Knowsley
2 Keppochhill Glasgow City
3 Breckland 007 Breckland
4 Fernhill and Cathkin South Lanarkshire
5 Vicarland and Cairns South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neely

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neely

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Neely surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Neely household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Neely 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

Neely is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Neely 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 Neely 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 Neely, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Neely

The surname Neely is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "O'Naoidhile," which means "descendant of the little prophet." The name can be traced back to the 12th century in County Tyrone, Ireland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "O'Neilly" in the Irish Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a manuscript dating back to the 15th century, which mentions a "Ferdorcha O'Neilli" in the year 1433. The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of royal decrees and orders from the 16th century, where it is spelled "O'Neyly."

In the 17th century, the name began to take on its more modern spelling of "Neely" as Irish families anglicized their surnames during the Plantation of Ulster. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Neely, born in County Antrim in 1634, who served as a colonel in the Royalist army during the English Civil War.

As the Neely family spread across Ireland and later to other parts of the world, the name became associated with various place names. For example, there is a Neely's Quarter in County Down, and a Neely's Hollow in Tennessee, USA, which was named after an early settler from the Neely family.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Neely. One of the earliest was Thomas Neely, born in 1680 in County Tyrone, who was a prominent Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the Presbytery of Monaghan. Another notable figure was James Neely, born in 1719 in County Antrim, who was a surveyor and cartographer responsible for mapping parts of Virginia and West Virginia in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Reverend Hugh Neely, born in 1818 in County Down, was a prominent Presbyterian minister and author who wrote several books on theology and church history. William Neely, born in 1839 in County Tyrone, was a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to education and charitable causes in Ireland.

In the 20th century, George Neely, born in 1907 in County Antrim, was a renowned artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture. He was elected a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1948.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neely families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neely 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. Lancashire leads with 31 Neelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 31 3.52x
Yorkshire 10 1.36x
Stirlingshire 7 25.60x
Middlesex 6 0.81x
Lanarkshire 5 2.09x
Northamptonshire 5 7.17x
Kent 4 1.58x
Surrey 2 0.55x
Ayrshire 1 1.80x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.23x
Northumberland 1 0.91x
Renfrewshire 1 1.74x
Somerset 1 0.84x
Warwickshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radcliffe in Lancashire leads with 14 Neelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 330.19x.

Place Total Index
Radcliffe 14 330.19x
Liverpool 8 14.98x
Armley 7 216.05x
Campsie 7 466.67x
Ashton In Potterspury 5 6250.00x
Toxteth Park 5 16.79x
Beckenham 4 120.85x
Glasgow 4 9.40x
Horton In Bradford 2 17.44x
Lambeth 2 3.09x
Rumworth 2 158.73x
St George Hanover 2 20.68x
Westminster St 2 73.26x
Abbey 1 11.42x
Batheaston 1 243.90x
Beith 1 60.24x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 17.92x
East Broughton 1 400.00x
Govan 1 1.69x
Great Crosby 1 41.67x
Hampstead London 1 8.67x
Huddersfield 1 9.35x
St Pancras London 1 1.68x
Wallsend 1 28.57x
Wolverton 1 107.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 7
Mary 5
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Matilda 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Julia 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Nancy 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
James 3
Matthew 3
William 3
Andrew 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Alex 1
Alexander 1
George 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Neely surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neely surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Neely surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neely surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 587 in 2016. That gives Neely a modern rank of #8,864.

What does the Neely surname mean?

Derived from Irish and Scottish Gaelic "Ó Néill," meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name meaning "champion."

What does the Neely map show?

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