Neal
A common English and Irish surname that can mean “son of Neil,” and in some cases may reflect the Norman name Nigel.
The #337 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,367 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Neal is usually treated as a form of Neil, so the surname most often began as a patronymic meaning “son of Neil.” Some older writers also connect it with the Norman personal name Nigel, which could be softened into Neal in English use. In Irish families, Neal may also be linked to O’Neill through Anglicized forms of the Gaelic name.
History
The name is widespread in Britain and Ireland and became established in several spellings, including Neale and Neill. Nineteenth-century surname writers disagreed on whether English families of Neal were mainly from Neil/Nigel or from Irish O’Neill lines. In the United States, Neal has remained a familiar surname and appears in many spellings across immigration records and censuses.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older surname books explicitly note Neal as a form of Neil, while others thought at least some families came from the Norman name Nigel.
From the historical record
“NEAL \ [^|AJ-^.= NeM(.,q.v. NEEL ) NEALS, Neal's (Son). NEAME (Eng.) = Fame, Uncle (v. undef Eames), with attracted N- from mine, thine.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)