O'Neill - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Néill
Meaning: descendant of Niall
Traditional stronghold: Tyrone
One of Ireland’s great royal dynasties.
Pronunciation: oh-NEEL; Irish O Neill: oh NAY-il
History of the O'Neill name
The O'Neills descend from Niall Glundub and, further back, claim descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, and were for centuries the dominant dynasty of Ulster, ruling as Kings of Tyrone from their inauguration site at Tullahogue. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, led the Nine Years War against English rule, and his defeat at Kinsale in 1601 and subsequent departure in the 1607 Flight of the Earls marked the effective end of the old Gaelic order. A separate O'Neill sept, the Clandeboye O'Neills, held territory in Antrim and Down. The name remains strongly linked to Ulster and Irish national memory alike.
Variants: Neill · O'Neil · Oneill
Famous bearers of the name
- Hugh O'Neill - Earl of Tyrone, leader of Gaelic Ireland's last great rebellion
- Eugene O'Neill - Irish-American Nobel laureate playwright, author of Long Day's Journey Into Night
- Martin O'Neill - Derry-born footballer and manager
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Quinn · Donnelly · McGrath · Devlin · Bradley · Campbell · Devine · Gormley