Find out how popular the last name Neale is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Neale.

Neale, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Neale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neale in America

Neale is the 8599th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neale surname appeared 3,828 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Neale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neale to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Neale

The surname Neale originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "nealu" or "nea," meaning "near" or "close by." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Neale" and variations such as "Nelle" and "Neele." These entries suggest the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was William Neale, a 13th-century English landowner and sheriff of Kent. He is mentioned in historical records from the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272).

Another prominent figure was Thomas Neale (c. 1519-1590), an English Catholic scholar and educator who served as the dean of Peterhouse, Cambridge. He played a significant role in the religious debates of the Elizabethan era.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Neale was particularly associated with the county of Berkshire in southern England. Several place names in this region, such as Neale's Green and Neale's Farm, likely derived from individuals bearing this name.

In the 17th century, John Neale (1593-1677) was a prominent English Puritan clergyman and writer. He served as the chaplain to the English forces during the English Civil War and was a prolific author on religious subjects.

Another notable figure was Walter Neale (1616-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1675 to 1678. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Charles II.

The surname Neale has also been associated with several places in England, such as Neale in Cambridgeshire and Neale's Green in Berkshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname who lived or held land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neale

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Neale.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Neale was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Neale has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Neale was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Neale, please contact us.

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