NameCensus.

UK surname

Neylan

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish name Niallán, meaning "little champion".

In the 1881 census there were 10 people recorded with the Neylan surname, ranking it #32,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, up from #32,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Walsall and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neylan is 111 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1000.0%.

1881 census count

10

Ranked #32,243

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

2015

111 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neylan had 10 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Neylan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neylan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neylan 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 10 #32,589
1881 historical 10 #32,243
1891 historical 19 #32,642
1901 historical 12 #32,772
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 84 #30,244
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 88 #30,160
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 87 #30,999
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Neylans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Walsall and Reading. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Stockton-on-Tees 008 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Stockton-on-Tees 012 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Walsall 007 Walsall
5 Reading 014 Reading

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neylan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neylan

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Neylan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Neylan 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Neylan is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neylan is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Neylan 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 Neylan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Neylan

The surname Neylan originated in Ireland, and its earliest recorded usage dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Niallán," which means "descendant of Niallán." Niallán was a personal name derived from the old Irish name "Niall," meaning "champion" or "brilliant."

The name Neylan was initially concentrated in the counties of Mayo and Sligo in the western province of Connacht. The surname's earliest known bearer was Cú Chonnacht Ua Niallán, who was recorded as the Chief Poet of Connacht in 1127.

In the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle, there are numerous references to the Neylan family from the 13th to the 16th centuries. One notable entry from 1344 mentions Tomaltach Ua Niallán, a member of a prominent Neylan family who served as the Chief Poet of Thomond (present-day County Clare).

The name Neylan is also found in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, the Annals of Connacht, and the Book of Lecan. These sources provide valuable insights into the Neylan family's history, their roles as poets and scholars, and their involvement in significant events of the time.

Some notable individuals with the surname Neylan throughout history include:

1. Seán Ó Niallán (c. 1520 - c. 1590), a renowned Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. 2. Dáibhí Ó Niallán (fl. 1630), a celebrated Irish-language poet from County Sligo. 3. Tadhg Ó Niallán (c. 1670 - c. 1740), a renowned Irish harpist and composer from County Mayo. 4. Séamus Ó Niallán (1796 - 1868), an Irish language scholar and teacher from County Sligo. 5. Michael Neylan (1843 - 1925), an Irish-American journalist and politician who served as the 14th Governor of Idaho.

Over time, the surname Neylan has seen various spellings, such as Ó Niallán, O'Neylan, Neylon, and Neylan, reflecting the adaptations made as the name spread across different regions and underwent anglicization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neylan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neylan 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 5 Neylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.33x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5 4.33x
Middlesex 4 4.11x
Hampshire 1 5.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorlton On Medlock in Lancashire leads with 4 Neylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 218.58x.

Place Total Index
Chorlton On Medlock 4 218.58x
St Anne Soho London 4 714.29x
Alverstoke 1 138.89x
Gorton 1 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Florence 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Dennis 1
James 1
Michael 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Neylan households.

FAQ

Neylan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neylan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10 people were recorded with the Neylan surname. That placed it at #32,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neylan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Neylan a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Neylan surname mean?

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish name Niallán, meaning "little champion".

What does the Neylan map show?

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