O'Neill

O'Neill
Niall Noigiallach, High King of Ireland, whom several O'Neill families claim descent from.
Pronunciation	oh-neel
Meaning	Derived from the elements uí and Néill, meaning "grandson of Niall."
Region of Origin	Ireland
Language of Origin	Gaelic
Related names	O'Neal, O'Neil, Ó Neill, Ó Néill, Ua Néill and Uí Néill
Wikipedia articles	All pages beginning with "O'Neill "

Look up O'Neill in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The surname O'Neill is ultimately of Gaelic origin, and spelling variations include O'Neal, O'Neil, Ó Neill, Ó Néill, Ua Néill and Uí Néill,^[1]

Origins

For the histories of the prominent families, please see the article O'Neill dynasty.

The surname O'Neill is an Anglicization of the original Gaelic Uí Néill, composed of the elements ui, meaning "grandson" or "descendant," and of the Gaelic name Niall. The meaning of the Niall is disputed, but has been suggested as "cloud", "passionate" or "champion".^[2] The progenitor of the family is said to be Niall Noigiallach of the Nine Hostages, which legend claims was the High King of Ireland in the fifth century. However, it was the grandsons of Niall Glúndub, himself a descendant of Niall Noigiallach that lived in the tenth century, that would have been the first to use the surname.

It is due to the Anglicization of the original Gaelic that the several spelling variations have emerged, during the transcribing of the name into English. Irish and Scottish variants also exist and include MacNeal, MacNiel and MacNeill, which arose when the ui element in the name was replaced with mac, meaning "son of." O'Neill is also occasionally found used as a given name.

Coats of Arms

For the coats of arms of the various families, please see the article O'Neill dynasty.

It is a common misconception that there is one coat of arms associated to everyone of a common surname, when, in fact, a coat of arms is property passed through direct lineage.^[3] This means that there are numerous families of O'Neill, perhaps under various spellings, that are related, but because they are not the direct descendants of an O'Neill that owned an armorial device do not have rights or claims to any arms themselves.

The coat of arms of the Uí Néills of Ulster were white with a red left hand cut off below the wrist, and it is because of this prominence that the red hand (though a right hand is often found used mistakenly, rather than the left used originally) has also become a symbol of Ireland, Ulster, Tyrone and other places associated with the ruling family of Uí Néills. The red hand by itself has become a symbol of the O'Neill name, such that when other O'Neill family branches were granted or assumed a heraldic achievement, this red hand was often incorporated into the new coat of arms to the point of being a cliché.^[4]

The red hand is explained by several slightly differing legends, but which tend to have a common theme that begins with a promise of land to the first man that is able to sail or swim across the sea and touch the shores of Ireland. Many contenders arrive, including a man named O'Neill, who begins to fall behind the other. Using his cunning, O'Neill cuts off his left hand and throws it onto the beach before the other challengers are able to reach shore, thus technically becoming the first of them to touch land and wins all of Ireland as his prize. However, the legends seem to originate in the seventeenth century, several many centuries after the red hand was already borne by the O'Neill families.^[5]

Notable Persons

The coat of arms of the Uí Néills of Ulster, featuring the red hand that other O'Neill families often incorporated into their own arms.

Names A-L

A

• Alan O'Neill, (born 1957), an Irish football player.
• Alan O'Neill (footballer born 1973), (born 1973), an Irish football player.
• Alexander O'Neal (born 1953), American musician
• Alexandre O'Neill, (1924–1986), a Portuguese writer.
• Amber O'Neal (born 1974), American professional wrestler
• Amy O'Neill, (born 1971), an actress/performer.
• Ana María O'Neill, an educator, author and advocate of women's rights.
• Andrew O'Neill, (born 1979), an English vegan, anarchist, transvestite, stand-up comedian, musician and writer.
• Anthony O'Neill, (born 1964), an Australian fiction writer.
• April O'Neil, a fictional character in the Mirage Studios franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Arthur O'Neal (born 1765 Ireland), American trader in Appalachia, friend of Cherokee
• Arthur Joseph O'Neill, (born 1917), an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Arthur O'Neill, (1876–1914), was an Irish Ulster Unionist Party politician
• Austin O'Neill, (born 1982) is an Irish football player

B

• Bernie O'Neill, an American politician.
• B.F. O'Neal, Jr. (1922–2004), Louisiana businessman Republican politician
• Bill O'Neill, (1880–1920), a Canadian-born Major League Baseball player.
• Billy O'Neill, (1878–1955), a Welsh international rugby union player.
• Billy O'Neill (footballer), an Irish professional footballer.
• Brendan O'Neill (businessman), (born 1948), a British business executive.
• Brendan O'Neill (journalist), an English journalist.
• Brian O'Neill, (born 1929), a Canadian executive within the National Hockey League.
• Brian O'Neill (1574), chief of the O'Neills of Clanaboy, surrendering his title to Sir Philip Sidney for a knighthood in 1567.
• Brian O'Neill (superintendent), (1941–2009), an American superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
• Brian Keith O'Neill, (Florida, USA) an American businessman, 1939-2009.
• Buckey O'Neill, (1860–1898), an American soldier, sheriff, newspaper editor, miner, politician, gambler and lawyer.
• Byron O'Neill, (born 1970), an American artist.

C

• Calvin O'Neal (b. ?), American football linebacker
• Carol O'Neal (born 1948), American model and Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in July 1972
• Charles Duncan O'Neal (1879–1936), Barbados politician and physician
• Charles O'Neal (1904-1996), American film and television screenwriter
• Connor O'Neill, a fictional Northern Irish character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
• C. William O'Neill, (1916–1978), an American politician.
• Carlos O'Neill, (1760–1835), a titular head of the Clanaboy O'Neill dynasty.
• Cecily O'Neill, authority on Process drama and the arts in education.
• Charles Gordon O'Neill, (1828–1900), an Australasian engineer, inventor, parliamentarian and philanthropist.
• Charles H. O'Neill, (c.1800–1897), an Irish-born American politician and mayor.
• Charles O'Neill (Pennsylvania politician), (1821–1893), an American politician.
• Charles O'Neill, 1st Earl O'Neill, (1779–1841), a British politician, peer and landowner.
• Colm O'Neill (born 1964), (born 1964), an Irish sportsperson.
• Colm O'Neill (born 1988), (born 1988), an Irish sportsperson.
• Con O'Neill (actor), (born 1966), a British actor.
• Con O'Neill (diplomat), (1912–1988), a British civil servant and diplomat.
• Conn (Constantine) O'Neill, a titular head of the Clanaboy O'Neill dynasty.

D

• Dave O'Neal (born 1937), American politician, former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
• Deltha O'Neal (born 1977), American football player
• Dipika O'Neill Joti, (born 1977), a Turkish actor and model
• Damian O'Neill, (born 1961), a lead guitarist in the pop-punk band, The Undertones.
• Dan O'Neill, (born 1942), an American underground cartoonist.
• Dan O'Neill (writer), an American journalist and writer.
• Daniel O'Neill, (1920–1974), an Irish Romantic painter.
• Daniel O'Neill (editor), an Irish-born American newspaper editor and owner
• Daniel O'Neill (royalist), (c.1612–1664), an Irish army officer, politician and courtier.
• Daria O'Neill, (born 1971), an American radio and television personality.
• Darren O'Neill, an Irish boxer.
• Davin O'Neill, an Irish professional footballer.
• Dennis O'Neill, (born 1948), a Welsh operatic tenor and recording artist.
• Dennis O'Neill (rugby league), a British professional rugby league footballer.
• Dermot O'Neill, several people
• Dermot O'Neill (footballer), (born 1960), an Irish soccer player.
• Dermot O'Neill (gardener), an Irish gardener.
• Diarmuid O'Neill, (1969–1996), an English-born volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
• Dick O'Neill, (1928–1998), an American stage, film and television actor.
• Don O'Neill, a watercolorist and architect.
• Douglas F. O'Neill, (born 1968), an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.

E

• Eamon O'Neill (SDLP politician), (born 1944), Northern Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.
• Eamon O'Neill (wrestler), an Irish professional wrestler
• Eamonn O'Neill (Irish politician), (died 3 November 1954) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedhael and later Fine Gael party politician
• Ed O'Neill, (born 1946), an American actor.
• Edward J. O'Neill, (1902–1979), an American US Army officer.
• Edward L. O'Neill, (1903–1948), an American politician.
• Edward O'Neill, 2nd Baron O'Neill, (1839–1928), an Irish peer and politician.
• Eliza O'Neill, (1791 – 29 October 1872) was an Irish actress, later baronetess.
• Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, (1883 - 1979) was an artist, author and lecturer
• Ella O'Neill, the mother of playwright Eugene O'Neill and wife of actor James O'Neill.
• Emmett O'Neill, (1918–1993), an American Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Eric O'Neill, (born 1973), an American former American FBI operative.
• Eugene M O'Neill, (1850–1926), an Irish-born American lawyer and newspaper owner.
• Eugene O'Neill (hurler), (born 1978), an Irish sportsperson.
• Eugene O'Neill, (1888–1953), an American playwright, and Nobel laureate in Literature.
• Eunan O'Neill, (born 1982), a Northern Irish television presenter.
• Evan O'Neill Kane, (1861–1932), a surgeon working in Pennsylvania, USA.
• Edward Asbury O'Neal (1818–1890), American Confederate general during the American Civil War
• Emmet O'Neal (1853–1922), American Democratic politician who was Governor of Alabama

F

• Frank O'Neal, American cartoonist
• Frederick O'Neal (1905 — 1992), American actor and television director
• Fabián O'Neill, (born 1973), a Uruguayan football midfielder.
• Felim O'Neill of Kinard, an Irish nobleman who led the Irish Rebellion of 1641 in Ulster.
• Francis O'Neill, (1848–1936), an Irish-born American police officer.
• Frank "Buck" O'Neill, (1875–1958), an American head football coach.
• Frank O'Neill (footballer), (born 1940), an Irish footballer.

G

• Gail O'Neill,
• Gary O'Neill,
• Gene O'Neill,
• George Bernard O'Neill,
• George O'Neill,
• George O'Neill (Scottish footballer),
• George O'Neill (Scottish footballer),
• Gerard K. O'Neill,
• Griffin O'Neal (born 1964), American actor

H

• Harriet O'Neill,
• Harry O'Neill,
• Harry O'Neill (catcher),
• Harry O'Neill (pitcher),
• Harry P. O'Neill,
• Heather O'Neill,
• Henrique O'Neill, 1st Viscount of Santa Mónica,
• Henry O'Neill,
• Henry O'Neill (disambiguation),
• Henry O'Neill (painter),
• Hugh Dubh O'Neill,
• Hugh McShane Ó Neill
• Hugh Ó Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone
• Hugh O'Neill, 1st Baron Rathcavan,
• Hugh O'Neill,
• Hugo José Jorge O'Neill,
• Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill,
• Hugh Ó Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, (c. 1550–1616), an Irish 2nd Earl of Tyrone

I

• Ivan O'Neal, Vincentian political leader

J

• Jack O'Neill, a fictional character in the Canadian-American SyFy television series Stargate SG-1
• Jamie O'Neal (born Jamie Murphy, 1968), Australian country singer and songwriter
• Jermaine O'Neal (born 1978), American NBA basketball player
• Jim O'Neal (b. 1948), American blues expert, writer, record producer and record company executive
• Joseph T. O'Neal, American politician
• Johnny O'Neal, American jazz pianist
• Jack O'Neill (baseball),
• Jack O'Neill (businessman),
• Jack O'Neill (disambiguation),
• Jack O'Neill,
• Jacquie O'Neill,
• James I. O'Neill High School,
• James O'Neill,
• James O'Neill (actor),
• James O'Neill (archivist),
• James O'Neill (baseball),
• James O'Neill (politician),
• James O'Neill (priest),
• James O'Neill (Washington politician),
• James O'Neill (Washington politician),
• James Ryan O'Neill,
• Jamie O'Neill,
• Jamie O'Neill (snooker player),
• Jan Lehane,]],
• Jeff O'Neill (game designer),
• Jeff O'Neill,
• Jeffrey O'Neill,
• Jennifer O'Neill,
• Jim O'Neill,
• Jim O'Neill (disambiguation),
• Jim O'Neill (economist),
• Jim O'Neill (ice hockey),
• Jimmy O'Neill,
• Jimmy O'Neill (footballer born 1941),
• Jimmy O'Neill (footballer born 1941),
• João O'Neill,
• João Pedro Torlades O'Neill,
• Joaquim Torlades O'Neill,
• Joe O'Neill,
• Joey O'Neill,
• John J. O'Neill,
• John Johnston O'Neill,
• John Joseph O'Neill (UK politician),
• John Joseph O'Neill (US politician),
• John Joseph O'Neill (US politician),
• John O'Neill,
• John O'Neill (Australian rules footballer),
• John O'Neill (Australian rules footballer),
• John O'Neill (baseball),
• John O'Neill (congressman),
• John O'Neill (editor),
• John O'Neill (guitarist),
• John O'Neill (Irish footballer),
• John O'Neill (musician),
• John O'Neill (Northern Ireland footballer),
• John O'Neill (rugby league),
• John O'Neill (Scottish footballer),
• John O'Neill (sport administrator),
• John O'Neill (VC),
• John O'Neill (Vietnam veteran),
• John P. O'Neill,
• John Raymond O'Neill,
• Jonjo O'Neill,
• Jorge Maria O'Neill,
• Jorge Torlades O'Neill I,
• Jorge Torlades O'Neill II,
• José Carlos O'Neill,
• José Maria O'Neill,
• Joseph O'Neill,
• Joseph O'Neill (1886-1953),
• Joseph O'Neill (born 1964),
• Julian O'Neill (New Zealand),
• Julian O'Neill,
• Juliet O'Neill,

K

• Kathleen O'Neal Gear (born 1954), American writer
• Kelley O'Neal (b. ?), American saxophonist
• Kate O'Neill,
• Keith O'Neill,
• Keith O'Neill (fiddler),
• Keith O'Neill (footballer),
• Kevin O'Neill (Australian rules footballer),
• Kevin O'Neill (basketball),
• Kevin O'Neill (comics)
• Kevin O'Neill (rugby union),
• Kevin O'Neill,
• Kim L. O'Neill,

L

• Leslie O'Neal (born 1964), American Football player
• Larry O'Neill,
• Laurence O'Neill,
• Lawrence Joseph O'Neill,
• Lawrence O'Neill,
• Linda O'Neill,
• Louis O'Neill,
• Luke O'Neill,

Names M-Z

M

• Maston E. O'Neal, Jr. (1907 - 1990), American politician
• Melinda O'Neal, American conductor of choral music
• Mike O'Neal (born 1951), Kansas Republican politician
• Maggie O'Neill,
• Maire O'Neill,
• Margaret O'Neill Eaton,
• María de Mater O'Neill,
• Maria O'Neill,
• Mark A. O'Neill,
• Mark O'Neill,
• Mark O'Neill (TV personality),
• Martin O'Neill (disambiguation),
• Martin O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan,
• Martin O'Neill, Northern Irish footballer and manager
• Marty O'Neill,
• Mary Auguste O'Neill,
• Mary Devenport O'Neill,
• Mary O'Neill,
• Mary-Anne O'Neill,
• Matthew O'Neill,
• Matthew O'Neill (filmmaker),
• Matthew O'Neill (footballer),
• Merlin O'Neill,
• Michael O'Neill,
• Michael O'Neill (academic),
• Michael O'Neill (actor),
• Michael O'Neill (educator),
• Michael O'Neill (footballer),
• Michael O'Neill (politician),
• Michelle Leclaire O'Neill,
• Michelle O'Neill,
• Mike O'Neill,
• Mike O'Neill (baseball),
• Mike O'Neill (ice hockey),
• Mike O'Neill (lacrosse),
• Mike O'Neill (musician),
• Mike O'Neill (rugby league),
• Mildred O'Neill,
• Moira O'Neill,
• Morgan O'Neill,

N

• Nathan O'Neill,
• Nicholas O'Neill,
• Norm O'Neill,
• Norman O'Neill (composer),
• Norman O'Neill (disambiguation),

O

• Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve,
• Oona O'Neill,
• Owen Roe O'Neill,
• O'Neal Compton (born 1951), American film and television actor
• O'Neill Donaldson, (born November 24, 1969 in Birmingham) is an English former footballer
• O'Neill Spencer, (1909-1944), a jazz drummer and singer

P

• Patrice Oneal (born 1969), African-American comedian
• Patrick O'Neal (1927–1994), American television, stage, and film actor
• Pearl O'Neal (born 1898), American swimmer and coach
• Peggy O'Neal, voice actress
• Pete O'Neal (born 1940), American Black Panther Party member
• Pat O'Neill,
• Pat O'Neill (cinema),
• Pat O'Neill (Dublin footballer),
• Pat O'Neill (Kilkenny hurler),
• Patrick O'Neill,
• Patrick O'Neill (handballer),
• Patrick O'Neill (politician),
• Patrick O'Neill, 1st Count of Tyrone,
• Paul O'Neill,
• Paul O'Neill (author),
• Paul O'Neill (baseball),
• Paul O'Neill (businessman),
• Paul O'Neill (gymnast),
• Paul O'Neill (racing driver),
• Paul O'Neill (rock producer),
• Pauline O'Neill,
• Pauline O'Neill (nun),
• Pauline O'Neill (suffrage leader),
• Pearse O'Neill,
• Peter O'Neill,
• Phelim (Felix) O'Neill,
• Phelim Caoch Ó Neill,
• Phelim O'Neill, 2nd Baron Rathcavan,

R

• Ralph Ambrose O'Neill, an American flying ace from the World War I.
• Rebecca O'Neill, (born 1981), a New Zealander football player.
• Richard O'Neill, (born 1943), an Anglo-Irish author and editor.
• Richard W. O'Neill, (1898–1982), an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor during World War I.
• Riley O'Neill, (born 1985), a Canadian soccer player.
• Robert J. O'Neill, (born 1936), a Chair of the International Academic Advisory Committee at the United States Studies Centre.
• Robert Torrens O'Neill, (1845–1910), an Irish Unionist politician.
• Robin O'Neil, British historian
• Rose O'Neill, (1874–1944), an illustrator.
• Ryan O'Neill (American soccer player), (born 1978) an American soccer midfielder.
• Ryan O'Neill (Northern Irish footballer), (born 1990), a Northern Irish footballer.
• Ralph T. O'Neal, British Virgin Islands politician
• Reagan O'Neal, one of several pseudonyms of James Oliver Rigney, Jr (born 1948), American writer
• Ron O'Neal (1937–2004), American actor, director and screenwriter
• Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1817–1864), Confederate spy
• Ryan O'Neal (born 1941), American actor

S

• Séamus Ó Néill, (1910–1986), an Irish writer
• Shane Ó Neill, (c.1530–1567), an Irish chief of the O'Neill clan of Ulster in the mid 16th century
• Shaquille O'Neal (born 1972), American basketball player
• Stan O'Neal, manager of Merrill Lynch
• Steve O'Neal (born 1946), American football punter
• Seán O'Neill, (born 1938), a Northern Irish sportsperson.
• Sean O'Neill (table tennis), an American table tennis player and coach.
• Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone,
• Shane O'Neill (hurler), (born 1986), an Irish sportsperson.
• Sharon O'Neill, (born 1952), a New Zealander singer-songwriter and pianist.
• Sid O'Neill, an Australian rules footballer.
• Simon O'Neill, (born 1971), a New Zealand-born operatic tenor.
• Stephen O'Neill,(born 1980), an Irish Gaelic footballer.
• Steve O'Neill, (1891–1962), an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.
• Steve O'Neill (owner), (1899–1983), an American owner of a professional baseball team.
• Steve O'Neill (rugby league), a professional rugby league footballer.
• Susie O'Neill, (born 1973), an Australian former competitive swimmer.

T

• Tara Lynne O'Neill, a TV presenter
• Ted O'Neill, a Dean of Admissions at the University of Chicago.
• Terence O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, (1914–1990), the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
• Terry O'Neill (feminist), (born c.1953), an American feminist attorney, professor and activist for social justice.
• Terry O'Neill (karateka), an actor.
• Terry O'Neill (photographer), (born 1938), an English photographer,
• Thomas Newman O'Neill, Jr., (born 1928), an American federal judge.
• Thomas O'Neill (journalist), (1904–1971), an American journalist.
• Thomas O'Neill (political scientist), a student.
• Thomas O'Neill (politician), (1882–1965), Canadian politician.
• Thomas P. O'Neill III, (born 1945), leader of a public relations and government affairs firm.
• Tim O'Neill (Canadian football), (born 1979), a Canadian football player.
• Timothy O'Neill (soccer), (born 1982), American soccer player.
• Tip O'Neill, (1912–1994), an American politician.
• Tip O'Neill (baseball), (1858–1915), a Canadian left fielder in Major League Baseball.
• Tom O'Neill (ice hockey), (born 1923), a professional ice hockey player.
• Tommy O'Neill, (born 1955), a Scottish football midfielder.
• Tony O'Neill, a New York based musician and author.
• Tatum O'Neal (born 1963), American actress
• Tirlough Brassileagh Ó Neill, the son of Phelim Caoch O'Neill, Prince of the Cenél nEógain
• Turlough Luineach Ó Neill, (1532–1595), an Irish earl of the Clan-Connell, inaugurated as the King of Tyrone
• Ty O'Neal (born 1978), American actor

W

• Wil O'Neal, American technology journalist
• Ward O'Neill, (born 1951), an Australian illustrator, caricaturist and cartoonist.
• Wes O'Neill, (born 1986) a Canadian ice hockey player.
• Willa O'Neill, a New Zealander actress.
• William O'Neill (Connecticut politician), (1930–2007), an American Governor of Connecticut.
• William O'Neill (Ohio jurist), (born 1947), an American lawyer, jurist and appellate judge.
• William O'Neill, 1st Baron O'Neill, (1813–1883), an Anglo-Irish hereditary peer, clergyman and musical composer.

Y

• Yvonne O'Neill, (born 1936), a Canadian politician.

See also

• O'Neill (disambiguation)
• O'Neill dynasty

References

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

This page or section lists people with the surname O'Neill/O'Neal. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.