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

O'Neill, 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 O'Neill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Neill in America

O'Neill is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Neill surname appeared 269 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname O'Neill.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Neill 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 O'Neill

The surname ONIELL originated in Ireland, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Niall," which means "champion" or "fierce warrior." The name was prominently associated with the powerful O'Neill dynasty, a prominent Irish clan that ruled parts of Ulster, particularly the region now known as County Tyrone.

The earliest recorded use of the ONIELL surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a significant historical record compiled by medieval Irish monks. This document mentions several members of the O'Neill clan, including Niall Mor O'Neill, who lived in the late 14th century and was a influential chieftain during his time.

One of the most notable figures bearing the ONIELL name was Shane O'Neill (c. 1530-1567), a renowned Irish chieftain who led a rebellion against English rule in Ulster during the 16th century. His exploits and resistance against the English crown made him a legendary figure in Irish history.

Another prominent ONIELL was Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (c. 1550-1616), a descendant of Shane O'Neill. He led a major uprising against English authority in Ireland, known as the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), which aimed to expel English forces from the island.

In the 17th century, the ONIELL surname was further associated with the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653), during which members of the O'Neill clan played a significant role in the conflict against English and Scottish forces.

The ONIELL name has also been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Killyleagh Castle in County Down, which was once the stronghold of the O'Neill clan. Additionally, the town of Dungannon in County Tyrone was historically associated with the O'Neills and served as their traditional seat of power.

Other notable figures with the ONIELL surname include Eliza O'Neill (1791-1872), an acclaimed Irish actress renowned for her performances in Shakespearean plays, and Máire O'Neill (1885-1952), an Irish republican and feminist activist who played a pivotal role in the Irish struggle for independence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Neill

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Neill.

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 O'Neill 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 O'Neill 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 O'Neill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!