NameCensus.

UK surname

Neil

An Irish occupational surname referring to a champion or cloud-maker, derived from Gaelic "Néill" meaning "cloud."

In the 1881 census there were 3,971 people recorded with the Neil surname, ranking it #1,142 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,512, ranked #1,218, down from #1,142 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lesmahagow, Galston and Bonnyton and Town Centre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neil is 5,541 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.8%.

1881 census count

3,971

Ranked #1,142

Modern count

5,512

2016, ranked #1,218

Peak year

2010

5,541 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neil had 3,971 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,142 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,512 in 2016, ranked #1,218.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,707 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Neil surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neil surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neil 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 2,436 #1,223
1861 historical 2,874 #1,009
1881 historical 3,971 #1,142
1891 historical 4,327 #1,094
1901 historical 4,707 #1,200
1911 historical 1,773 #2,764
1997 modern 5,108 #1,278
1998 modern 5,298 #1,287
1999 modern 5,326 #1,288
2000 modern 5,324 #1,279
2001 modern 5,180 #1,281
2002 modern 5,321 #1,276
2003 modern 5,156 #1,285
2004 modern 5,169 #1,282
2005 modern 5,189 #1,260
2006 modern 5,196 #1,257
2007 modern 5,202 #1,269
2008 modern 5,254 #1,268
2009 modern 5,415 #1,254
2010 modern 5,541 #1,251
2011 modern 5,413 #1,265
2012 modern 5,284 #1,268
2013 modern 5,380 #1,265
2014 modern 5,469 #1,248
2015 modern 5,453 #1,232
2016 modern 5,512 #1,218

Geography

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Where Neils are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lesmahagow, Galston, Bonnyton and Town Centre, Cumnock Rural and Harthill and Salsburgh. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lesmahagow South Lanarkshire
2 Galston East Ayrshire
3 Bonnyton and Town Centre East Ayrshire
4 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
5 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neil

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neil

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Neil, 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 Neil surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Neil 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Neil is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neil 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

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

Meaning and origin of Neil

The surname NEIL is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Niall, which means "champion" or "cloud." It is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname NEIL appears in the 13th century, when a man named Nigellus Nell was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was already established in Scotland by that time.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, various spellings of the name were found in records, including Nele, Neile, and Neel. Some of these variations were likely influenced by the Norman-French pronunciation of the name.

The NEIL surname is also associated with several Scottish place names, such as Neilston in East Renfrewshire, which was once known as Neilstown or Neilstoun. This indicates that the name was present in different regions of Scotland and may have been adopted as a locational surname.

Notable individuals with the surname NEIL throughout history include:

1. Sir Paul NEIL (c. 1435–1516), a Scottish knight and ambassador during the reigns of James III and James IV of Scotland. 2. John NEIL (1570–1630), a Scottish Catholic priest and rector of the Scots College in Rome. 3. James NEIL (1776–1857), a Scottish horticulturist and botanist who introduced several plant species to Europe from North America. 4. Samuel NEIL (1783–1848), a Scottish-American businessman and landowner who co-founded the city of Columbus, Ohio. 5. James Munsie NEIL (1839–1902), a Scottish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Philadelphia, including the Academy of Music and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

The NEIL surname has a long and rich history in Scotland, with its origins dating back to the medieval period. It has been associated with various regions, place names, and notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting the prominence and diversity of those who have borne this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neil families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neil 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. Lanarkshire leads with 857 Neils recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.86x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 857 6.86x
Ayrshire 577 19.95x
Lancashire 279 0.61x
Middlesex 270 0.70x
Renfrewshire 222 7.41x
Midlothian 159 3.07x
Yorkshire 145 0.38x
Northumberland 94 1.64x
Stirlingshire 94 6.60x
Durham 93 0.81x
Angus 88 2.46x
Roxburghshire 84 12.00x
Surrey 72 0.38x
Aberdeenshire 67 1.87x
Dunbartonshire 58 5.59x
Warwickshire 49 0.50x
Kent 45 0.34x
Cheshire 44 0.52x
Cumberland 42 1.26x
West Lothian 41 7.05x
Hampshire 40 0.51x
Wigtownshire 39 7.60x
Perthshire 38 2.19x
Staffordshire 37 0.28x
Fife 31 1.36x
Essex 30 0.39x
Kirkcudbrightshire 26 4.65x
Devon 24 0.30x
Channel Islands 22 1.92x
Glamorgan 18 0.27x
Peeblesshire 17 9.35x
Dumfriesshire 14 1.64x
Monmouthshire 14 0.50x
Wiltshire 14 0.41x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.56x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.98x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.45x
Somerset 11 0.18x
Oxfordshire 10 0.42x
Denbighshire 9 0.62x
Gloucestershire 9 0.12x
Leicestershire 9 0.21x
Orkney 9 2.12x
Argyllshire 8 0.74x
Rutland 8 2.82x
Inverness-shire 7 0.61x
Kincardineshire 7 1.49x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.13x
Selkirkshire 7 2.00x
Worcestershire 7 0.14x
Berkshire 6 0.21x
Caithness 6 1.13x
Clackmannanshire 6 1.88x
East Lothian 5 0.98x
Northamptonshire 5 0.14x
Berwickshire 4 0.85x
Cornwall 4 0.09x
Flintshire 4 0.39x
Ross-shire 4 0.38x
Royal Navy 4 0.87x
Brecknockshire 3 0.39x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.18x
Isle of Man 3 0.42x
Sussex 3 0.05x
Banffshire 2 0.25x
Buteshire 2 0.85x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.14x
Westmorland 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 214 Neils recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.77x.

Place Total Index
Barony 214 6.77x
Govan 206 6.67x
Glasgow 173 7.80x
Kilmarnock 78 22.66x
Old Monkland 76 15.33x
Ayr 53 38.83x
St Quivox 52 53.19x
Dundee 51 3.82x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 43 2.06x
East Greenock 40 14.15x
Toxteth Park 37 2.38x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 35 5.23x
Dalry 35 25.72x
Kilbarchan 34 37.38x
Jedburgh 32 46.65x
West Derby 32 2.39x
Bonhill 29 17.40x
Liverpool 29 1.04x
Maryhill 29 11.86x
Paisley High Church 29 12.16x
Gateshead 28 3.25x
Loudoun 28 40.26x
Lanark 26 25.86x
New Monkland 26 7.04x
Irvine 24 29.88x
Abbey 23 5.03x
Lasswade 23 19.43x
Newton On Ayr 23 26.56x
St Pancras London 23 0.74x
Bothwell 22 6.49x
Larbert 21 24.65x
Shotts 21 14.04x
Dundonald 20 18.76x
St Helier 20 5.37x
Symington 20 215.52x
Manchester 19 0.92x
Workington 19 9.98x
Denny 18 23.75x
Muirkirk 18 26.51x
Riccarton 18 41.27x
Hamilton 17 4.88x
Islington London 17 0.45x
Kilwinning 17 18.21x
Poplar London 17 2.33x
Uphall 17 26.57x
Aberdeen Old Machar 16 2.14x
Kilbirnie 16 23.04x
Lochwinnoch 16 35.85x
Bedworth 15 21.09x
Horton In Bradford 15 2.51x
Kensington London 15 0.70x
St George In East 15 5.71x
West Ham 15 0.89x
Dalmellington 14 16.46x
Kilmaurs 14 28.46x
Riccarton Hurlford 14 27.60x
South Leith 14 2.40x
West Kilbride 14 50.82x
Cathcart 13 8.02x
Dalserf 13 10.43x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 13 2.61x
Old Cumnock 13 20.19x
Pendleton In Salford 13 2.38x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 1.67x
St George Bloomsbury 13 5.86x
St Marylebone London 13 0.63x
Stirling 13 7.24x
Widnes 13 3.93x
Bromley London 12 1.41x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.18x
Everton 12 0.82x
Pembroke St Mary 12 7.59x
Shabbington 12 256.41x
Tranmere 12 3.83x
Westgate 12 3.37x
Bowling 11 2.90x
Colinton 11 19.06x
Elswick 11 2.40x
Montrose 11 5.07x
Port Glasgow 11 7.60x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Neil surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neil surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,971 people were recorded with the Neil surname. That placed it at #1,142 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neil surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,512 in 2016. That gives Neil a modern rank of #1,218.

What does the Neil surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to a champion or cloud-maker, derived from Gaelic "Néill" meaning "cloud."

What does the Neil map show?

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