McNeal Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McNeal last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McNeal last name
Meaning of the McNeal last name: son of Niall. McNeal is a Scottish and Irish surname from Mac Néill, "son of Niall", alongside McNeil and MacNeill. The last name is Highland and Ulster. Argyll hearth-tax lists already pair Mac Néill with later McNeal, so the McNeal surname stayed easy to spot in later indexes.
Arms associated with the McNeal name
Coats of arms associated with the McNeal surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full McNeal family history
This is only a glimpse of the McNeal story. The full McNeal history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McNeal coat of arms. Get the full McNeal report.
McNeal name FAQ
What does the McNeal name mean?
Son of Niall. Common variants include McNeil, MacNeill.
Where does the McNeal surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a McNeal coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McNeal coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).