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Neal Family History

Neal Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Old French Anglo-Norman French and Middle English personal name Neel Nele Nihel Niel itself derived from the Latin name Nigellus (a diminutive of Latin niger ‘black’) originally a nickname for someone with black hair or a dark complexion. The name was very common among Normans and was brought to England at the time of the Norman Conquest. There has been considerable confusion with the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Niall (see Neil ); the two names are now pronounced identically. It is theoretically possible that in Normandy where the personal name was popular that it was also used for Old Norse Njáll but this is difficult to prove. Njáll was adopted from the Irish Gaelic personal name Niall by Vikings in Ireland who took it back to Iceland and Norway but whether the Vikings also took Njáll to Normandy and to the northwest of England is an open question which cannot be settled on the available evidence. English: alternatively from the Middle English personal name Nele a variant of Nell as a pet form of Elias (see Ellis ). Compare Nelson Nielson . Scottish and Irish: shortened form of McNeal (see McNeil ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Nell, Seal, Neil, Neat, Beal, Bean, Near, Neas, Nealy, Veal

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Where is the Neal family from?

You can see how Neal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Neal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Neal families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 118 Neal families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 12% of all the recorded Neal's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Neal families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Neal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Neal ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Neal. 20% of Neal men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Neal women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Neal were Farm Laborer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Neal | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    20%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Neal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 532,000 census records available for the last name Neal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Neal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 28,000 immigration records available for the last name Neal. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 83,000 military records available for the last name Neal. For the veterans among your Neal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Neal lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Neal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Neal in 1941 was 38, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Neal

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