NameCensus.

UK surname

Oneale

A surname originally derived from the Irish Gaelic term "Ó Néill" meaning descendant of the ancient royal house of Niall.

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Oneale surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112, ranked #28,844, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eastham, Manchester and Tardebigg. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Islington and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oneale is 124 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.9%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

112

2016, ranked #28,844

Peak year

1999

124 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oneale had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016, ranked #28,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Oneale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oneale surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oneale 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 82 #23,321
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 33 #31,681
1901 historical 37 #30,009
1911 historical 50 #27,806
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 115 #27,634
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 112 #28,844

Geography

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Where Oneales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eastham, Manchester, Tardebigg, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Islington, St. Helens and Havering. 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 Eastham Cheshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Tardebigg Worcestershire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 003 Neath Port Talbot
2 Islington 001 Islington
3 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
5 Havering 004 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oneale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oneale

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oneale, 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 Oneale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Oneale 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Oneale 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

Oneale 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

Oneale falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oneale is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Oneale

The surname ONEALE originated in Ireland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall." The Ó Néill dynasty was a powerful family that ruled a large part of Ulster in the northern part of Ireland for several centuries.

The earliest recorded example of this surname can be traced back to the 10th century, when the Annals of Ulster mention Muircheartach Ó Néill, who was a powerful Irish king and High King of Ireland from 941 to 943 AD. Another notable figure from this era was Niall Glúndub Ó Néill, who reigned as King of Ailech from 919 to 919 AD.

The surname ONEALE is also found in various medieval Irish manuscripts and records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters and the Book of Leinster. These sources document the exploits and battles of the Ó Néill clan, which played a significant role in Irish history during the Middle Ages.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the anglicized spelling ONEALE became more common as the English exerted greater control over Ireland. One notable figure from this period was Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (c. 1550-1616), who led a major rebellion against English rule in Ireland known as the Nine Years' War.

Other notable individuals with the surname ONEALE include Niall Ó Néill (1605-1680), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars, and John O'Neill (1701-1768), an Irish-American soldier and founder of the O'Neill dynasty in America.

Throughout history, the ONEALE surname has been closely tied to the rich cultural heritage and struggles of the Irish people, with many bearers playing significant roles in shaping the nation's history and identity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oneale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oneale 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 12 Oneales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.38x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 1.38x
Durham 10 4.60x
Middlesex 10 1.37x
Surrey 10 2.81x
Worcestershire 8 8.37x
Monmouthshire 6 11.35x
Glamorgan 5 3.93x
Somerset 4 3.40x
Gloucestershire 3 2.09x
Sussex 3 2.43x
Derbyshire 2 1.75x
Cumberland 1 1.59x
Lanarkshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 10 Oneales recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.40x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 10 21.40x
Everton 7 25.30x
Merrington 7 1666.67x
Redditch 7 360.82x
Bedwellty 6 64.24x
Merthyr Tydfil 5 40.85x
Bridgewater 4 125.00x
St Andrew Holborn 4 161.29x
Bristol St James In 3 142.18x
Burpham 3 3000.00x
St Pancras London 3 5.10x
Sunderland 3 78.13x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 29.03x
Derby St Werburgh 2 30.26x
St Marylebone London 2 5.12x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 80.00x
Anderston 1 1666.67x
Chelsea London 1 4.54x
Dudley 1 8.61x
Halsall 1 294.12x
St Cuthbert Within 1 136.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Catherine 4
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Kate 2
Ceclia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Julia 1
Lydia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
James 4
Michael 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Charles 2
Cornelius 2
Patrick 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
W.Edward 1
Willey 1

FAQ

Oneale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oneale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Oneale surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oneale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016. That gives Oneale a modern rank of #28,844.

What does the Oneale surname mean?

A surname originally derived from the Irish Gaelic term "Ó Néill" meaning descendant of the ancient royal house of Niall.

What does the Oneale map show?

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