NameCensus.

UK surname

Oneill

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish king.

In the 1881 census there were 3,270 people recorded with the Oneill surname, ranking it #1,382 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 27,781, ranked #201, up from #1,382 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Greenock East and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oneill is 28,211 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 749.6%.

1881 census count

3,270

Ranked #1,382

Modern count

27,781

2016, ranked #201

Peak year

2014

28,211 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oneill had 3,270 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,382 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 27,781 in 2016, ranked #201.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,165 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Oneill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oneill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oneill 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 874 #3,123
1861 historical 1,180 #2,404
1881 historical 3,270 #1,382
1891 historical 3,960 #1,213
1901 historical 6,165 #899
1911 historical 6,021 #859
1997 modern 25,135 #217
1998 modern 26,064 #216
1999 modern 26,297 #215
2000 modern 26,120 #216
2001 modern 25,576 #215
2002 modern 26,474 #216
2003 modern 25,770 #215
2004 modern 25,952 #215
2005 modern 25,794 #209
2006 modern 25,800 #209
2007 modern 26,217 #208
2008 modern 26,631 #206
2009 modern 27,008 #207
2010 modern 27,888 #205
2011 modern 27,657 #205
2012 modern 27,280 #204
2013 modern 27,906 #203
2014 modern 28,211 #200
2015 modern 27,889 #202
2016 modern 27,781 #201

Geography

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Where Oneills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester, 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 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Greenock East, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Corby and Greenock Town Centre and East Central. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
2 Greenock East Inverclyde
3 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
4 Corby 004 Corby
5 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oneill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oneill

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oneill 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

Oneill 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

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

Meaning and origin of Oneill

The surname O'Neill is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ua Néill" meaning "descendant of Niall." It traces its roots back to the ancient kingdom of Ailech in the northern parts of Ireland, particularly in modern-day County Tyrone and County Londonderry.

The surname has its origins in the 4th century AD when Niall Noígiallach, also known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a prominent and powerful High King of Ireland. He established the Uí Néill dynasty, which ruled various parts of Ireland for centuries.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the Uí Néill dynasty, including Áed Oirdnide mac Néill, who died in 819 AD.

Another notable early reference is the Book of Armagh, a 9th-century manuscript containing some of the oldest surviving examples of Old Irish writing. It mentions several individuals with the surname, such as Fergus O'Neill, who was the abbot of Armagh in the 8th century.

During the Middle Ages, the O'Neills were one of the most powerful and influential families in Ireland. They ruled the Kingdom of Ailech and later the Principality of Tír Eógain (Tyrone). Some notable individuals include Niall Glúndub (d. 919), a powerful king of Ailech, and Muircheartach O'Neill (d. 1166), who was the King of Ailech and Tír Eógain.

In the 16th century, the O'Neills played a significant role in the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (c. 1550–1616), led a major rebellion against English rule, which became known as the Nine Years' War (1594–1603). Despite initial successes, the rebellion was eventually defeated.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir Phelim O'Neill (c. 1604–1653), who led the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and John O'Neill (1834–1904), an Irish-American artist and sculptor who designed several famous monuments in New York City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oneill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oneill 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 705 Oneills recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 705 3.20x
Lanarkshire 267 4.44x
Renfrewshire 127 8.81x
Yorkshire 109 0.59x
Middlesex 105 0.56x
Cheshire 55 1.34x
Durham 54 0.98x
Midlothian 50 2.01x
Surrey 47 0.52x
Angus 32 1.86x
Hampshire 27 0.71x
Devon 24 0.62x
Kent 24 0.38x
Wigtownshire 22 8.91x
Northumberland 21 0.76x
Ayrshire 20 1.44x
Cumberland 17 1.06x
Warwickshire 17 0.36x
Monmouthshire 15 1.12x
Royal Navy 15 6.77x
Glamorgan 13 0.40x
Derbyshire 10 0.34x
Stirlingshire 10 1.46x
Essex 9 0.25x
Somerset 9 0.30x
Sussex 9 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 8 1.95x
Hertfordshire 8 0.62x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 2.97x
Staffordshire 8 0.13x
Channel Islands 7 1.27x
Gloucestershire 7 0.19x
Argyllshire 6 1.16x
Bedfordshire 6 0.62x
Leicestershire 6 0.29x
Cornwall 5 0.24x
Berkshire 4 0.29x
Dorset 4 0.33x
Worcestershire 3 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.12x
Herefordshire 2 0.26x
Perthshire 2 0.24x
Buteshire 1 0.89x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.13x
Denbighshire 1 0.14x
Flintshire 1 0.20x
Isle of Man 1 0.29x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 174 Oneills recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.99x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 174 12.99x
Glasgow 80 7.49x
Barony 71 4.67x
Manchester 56 5.64x
Barrow In Furness 46 15.33x
Everton 44 6.26x
Govan 38 2.56x
West Greenock 38 14.69x
Kirkdale 35 9.43x
Hulme 30 6.51x
Toxteth Park 30 4.02x
Shotts 25 34.74x
Salford 24 3.70x
West Derby 24 3.72x
Hamilton 21 12.52x
Dundee 20 3.11x
East Greenock 20 14.70x
Middle Greenock 20 50.86x
Paisley Middle Church 20 23.84x
Preston 20 3.39x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 1.80x
Westleigh 18 35.93x
Birkenhead 15 4.58x
Bentham 14 99.72x
Gateshead 14 3.38x
Gorton 14 6.75x
Kensington London 14 1.35x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 14 8.47x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 3.71x
Pendleton In Salford 13 4.95x
Port Glasgow 13 18.66x
Royal Navy 13 6.86x
Windle 13 10.47x
Sheffield 12 2.05x
Shoreditch London 12 1.49x
St Marylebone London 12 1.21x
Walton On Hill 12 10.04x
Auckinleck 11 25.54x
Leeds 11 1.06x
Newchurch 10 5.54x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 10 21.19x
South Leith 10 3.57x
Southwark Christchurch 10 11.48x
Stoke Damerel 10 3.69x
Wakefield 10 7.07x
Ardwick 9 4.52x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 5.14x
Bradford 9 2.02x
Llanwonno 9 7.74x
Newington 9 1.31x
Wigan 9 2.92x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 4.82x
Liff Benvie 8 3.06x
Ovenden 8 9.76x
Paddington London 8 1.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 2.14x
St Pancras London 8 0.53x
St Woollos 8 5.33x
Warrington 8 3.06x
Battersea 7 1.02x
Bilston 7 5.76x
Birmingham 7 0.45x
Chorley 7 5.65x
Conside Knitsley 7 16.28x
Crumpsall 7 13.46x
Dryfesdale 7 36.98x
Dukinfield 7 3.69x
Edgbaston 7 4.82x
Layton With Warbreck 7 8.65x
Mochrum 7 47.49x
Neilston 7 9.68x
Newport 7 10.92x
Newton 7 4.12x
Ryton 7 36.01x
Wigtown 7 49.68x
Abbey 6 2.73x
Dreghorn 6 23.82x
Great Bolton 6 2.05x
Leicester St Margaret 6 1.19x
Southcoates 6 5.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 155
Margaret 44
Elizabeth 40
Ellen 38
Ann 30
Jane 27
Sarah 26
Catherine 24
Bridget 22
Annie 18
Eliza 15
Kate 13
Alice 12
Hannah 10
Anne 9
Rose 9
Emily 8
Florence 8
Agnes 7
Maria 7
Martha 7
Ada 6
Emma 6
Harriet 6
Julia 5
Frances 4
Helen 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Amelia 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Lizzie 3
Margret 3
Matilda 3
Catharine 2
Cathe. 2
Cathrine 2
Eliz. 2
Fanny 2
Georgina 2
Grace 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Maude 2
May 2
Mgt. 2
Susannah 2
Teresa 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 138
James 82
Thomas 51
William 34
Henry 29
Patrick 27
Daniel 23
Charles 20
Michael 18
Edward 15
Francis 15
Hugh 15
Joseph 13
George 11
Peter 11
Robert 9
Arthur 8
Thos. 8
Bernard 7
David 6
Martin 6
Richard 6
Cornelius 4
Dennis 4
Felix 4
Frederick 4
Owen 4
Wm. 4
Eugene 3
Frank 3
Jeremiah 3
Timothy 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Barnard 2
J. 2
Jas. 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Anthony 1
Bryan 1
C. 1
Catherine 1
Denis 1
Dermot 1
Dom 1
Herbert 1
Herman 1
Howard 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Oneill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oneill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,270 people were recorded with the Oneill surname. That placed it at #1,382 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oneill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 27,781 in 2016. That gives Oneill a modern rank of #201.

What does the Oneill surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish king.

What does the Oneill map show?

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