O'Neill (surname)

O'Neill
Pronunciationoh-neel
Language(s)Irish
Origin
MeaningDescendant of Niall
Region of originUlster, Ireland
Other names
Related namesO'Neil, O'Niall, O'Neall, O'Neal, Neill

O'Neill is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Néill meaning "descendant of Niall". The Uí Néill dynasty were the foremost dynasty of Ulster, and all Ireland,[1] from the 5th century throughout the medieval period, until the Flight of the Earls in 1607 which saw the end of Gaelic Ireland. O'Neill is one of the most common Irish surnames.

Origins

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

The surname O'Neill is an Anglicization of the original Irish Ua Néill, composed of the elements ua, meaning "grandson" or "descendant," and of the Irish name Niall. Niall is a male given name of Irish origin, to mean "champion" (derived from the Old Irish word niadh meaning warrior or champion).[2] The progenitor of the family is said to be Niall Glúndub of the Cenél nEógain; however, his great-grandsons, who lived in the tenth century, would have been the first to use the surname.

It is due to the Anglicization of the original Irish that the several spelling variations have emerged, during the transcribing of the name into English. This is mainly due to the lack of literacy and ability to spell, which was common throughout Ireland at the time). Ó Neill replaced Ua Néill during the end of a standard Irish era.

Coats of arms

For the coats of arms of the various families, see O'Neill dynasty § Coats of arms.

It is a mistake to state that the Irish coat of arms system follows a feudal system wherein a coat of arms is property passed through direct lineage.[3] This means that the right to use the arms is not restricted to a given individual, as in the English feudal system, but is open to all within the extended "sept" or "clan" of the Gaelic culture.[4][5]

The coat of arms of the Uí Néill (plural of Ó Néill) of Ulster was white with a red left hand cut off below the wrist, palm facing down with the fingers spread.[citation needed] Today, it is more common to see the right hand, palm side up and with the fingers touching rather than the left, as the coat of arms was changed under British rule.[citation needed] It has also become a symbol of Ireland, Ulster, Tyrone, and other places associated with the ruling family of Uí Néills.

The symbol is frequently used by Protestant inhabitants since the 1920s in Northern Ireland. As other related family branches and clans loyal to the O'Neills were often granted or assumed a heraldic achievement, this red hand has been incorporated into the new coat of arms to the point of being a cliché.[6]

The red hand is explained by several slightly differing legends, most of which tend to have a common theme beginning with a promise of land to the first man 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 others. 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 used by the O'Neill families.[7]

People with the surname

[8]

Main article: List of people with surname O'Neill

See also

References

  1. ^ "Uí Néill, The Uí Néill Tribe and Their Clans". www.battleofclontarf.net. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  2. ^ A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. 1996. ISBN 0-19-280050-7.
  3. ^ "FAQs: heraldry". College of Arms. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Heraldry in Ireland". Heraldry.ws. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Pat Brennan Heraldry". Leitrim-roscommon.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  6. ^ "O'Neill coat of arms". Araltas.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Ui Neill Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Ui Neill". www.encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  8. ^

Read other articles:

Beirut

Capital and largest city of Lebanon Bayrut, Beyrut, and Biruta redirect here. For the German city, see Bayreuth. For the Iranian village, see Beyrut, Iran. For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation) and Biruta (disambiguation). Capital city and municipality in LebanonBeirut بيروتCapital city and municipalityLeft to right from top: Beirut Zaitunay Bay; Sahat al Shouhada; Nejmeh Square in Beirut; Maronite Cathedral of Saint George (left) and Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque (right); Sursock Museum...

 

National Academy of Sciences, India

Learned society and academy in India devoted to science Not to be confused with Indian Academy of Sciences or Indian National Science Academy. The National Academy of Sciences, Indiaराष्ट्रीय विज्ञान अकादमी, भारतAbbreviationNASIFormation1930; 94 years ago (1930)Location5, Lajpat Rai Road, Salori, Govindpur, Teliarganj, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211002, IndiaCoordinates25°29′5.9″N 81°52′33.8″E / 25.4...

 

Epsilon Leonis

Epsilon Leonis Lokasi ε Leonis (dilingkari) Data pengamatan Epos J2000      Ekuinoks J2000 Rasi bintang Leo Asensio rekta  09j 45m 51.07330d[1] Deklinasi  23° 46′ 27.3208″[1] Magnitudo tampak (V) 2.98[2] Ciri-ciri Kelas spektrum G1 II[3] Indeks warna U−B +0.47[2] Indeks warna B−V +0.808[4] Jenis variabel suspected[5] AstrometriKecepatan radial...

Très basse fréquence

Cet article est une ébauche concernant l’électromagnétisme. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Consultez la liste des tâches à accomplir en page de discussion. Pour les articles homonymes, voir fréquence (homonymie). La très basse fréquence, en anglais Very low frequency (VLF), désigne la bande de radiofréquences qui s'étend de 3 kHz à 30 kHz[1] (longueur d'onde de 100 à 10 ...

 

العلاقات الأندورية التشيلية

العلاقات الأندورية التشيلية أندورا تشيلي   أندورا   تشيلي تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات الأندورية التشيلية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين أندورا وتشيلي.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقارنة عامة ومرجعية للدولتين: وجه المقارنة أندو�...

 

العلاقات البرازيلية البريطانية

العلاقات البرازيلية البريطانية البرازيل المملكة المتحدة   البرازيل   المملكة المتحدة تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات البرازيلية البريطانية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين البرازيل والمملكة المتحدة.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقا�...

Berkeley, California

City in California, United StatesBerkeleyCityLooking west over the city from the Berkeley Hills, with San Francisco in the background SealLogoLocation of Berkeley in Alameda County, CaliforniaBerkeleyLocation within Alameda County, CaliforniaShow map of Oakland, CaliforniaBerkeleyLocation within San Francisco Bay AreaShow map of San Francisco Bay AreaBerkeleyLocation within the state of CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaBerkeleyLocation within the United StatesShow map of the United StatesBerk...

 

Amangkurat I

Amangkurat Iꦲꦩꦁ​ꦏꦸꦫꦠ꧀꧇꧑꧇Sunan TegalarumGerbang makam Sunan Tegalarum di Tegal, c. 1915Susuhunan Mataram ke-4 Berkuasa1646 – 1677 (31 tahun berkuasa)Penobatan1646; 377 tahun lalu (1646)PendahuluAnyakrakusumaPenerusAmangkurat IIInformasi pribadiKelahiranRaden Mas Sayyidin1618/1619 Kutagede, MataramKematian13 Juli 1677 Wanayasa, Banyumas, MataramPemakamanPasarean Tegalarum, Adiwerna, TegalWangsaMataramNama takhtaSampeyan Dalem Ingkang Sinuhun Kangjeng Susuhun...

 

Strada statale 517 Bussentina

Strada statale 517 BussentinaDenominazioni precedentiStrada statale 517var Bussentina LocalizzazioneStato Italia Regioni Campania Province Salerno DatiClassificazioneStrada statale InizioPolicastro Bussentino FineSS 19 presso Montesano Scalo Lunghezza34,850[1] km Provvedimento di istituzioneD.M. 13/12/1966 - G.U. 34 dell'8/02/1967[2] GestoreANAS PercorsoPrincipali intersezioniSS18 Tirrena Inferiore, SS18var Cilentana Manuale La strada statale 517 Bussentina (SS ...

Daftar duta besar Rusia untuk Argentina

Duta Besar Federasi Rusia untuk Republik ArgentinaLambang Kementerian Luar Negeri RusiaPetahanaDmitry Feoktistov [ru]sejak 20 Juni 2018Kementerian Urusan Luar NegeriKedutaan Besar Rusia di Buenos AiresAtasanMenteri Urusan Luar NegeriKantorBuenos AiresDitunjuk olehPresiden RusiaMasa jabatanAtas keinginan PresidenSitus webKedubes Rusia di Argentina Duta Besar Luar Biasa dan Berkuasa Penuh Federasi Rusia untuk Republik Argentina adalah perwakilan resmi Presiden dan Pemerintahan...

 

Thompson Street School

United States historic placeThompson Street SchoolU.S. National Register of Historic Places Thompson Street SchoolShow map of MassachusettsShow map of the United StatesLocationNew Bedford, MassachusettsCoordinates41°37′17″N 70°55′37″W / 41.62139°N 70.92694°W / 41.62139; -70.92694Built1884ArchitectBrownell & MurklandArchitectural styleLate VictorianNRHP reference No.89002329 [1]Added to NRHPJanuary 26, 1990 The Thompson Street Scho...

 

Sporting Clube de Portugal (pallavolo maschile)

Questa voce sull'argomento società pallavolistiche è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Sporting Clube de PortugalPallavolo Segni distintivi Uniformi di gara Casa Trasferta Colori sociali Bianco e verde Dati societari Città Lisbona Nazione  Portogallo Confederazione CEV Federazione FPV Campionato Primeira Divisão Fondazione 1938 Scioglimento 1995 Rifondazione 2017 Presidente Frederico Varandas Allenatore Hugo Silva Impianto Pavilhã...

Bat flip

Throwing a baseball bat so that it rotates several times before landing A baseball bat rotating in the air as the result of a bat flip In baseball, a bat flip is the throwing of a baseball bat in such a way that it rotates several times before landing. It is typically done by a batter to show off after hitting a home run. This is in contrast to the usual practice of dropping the bat straight down as the batter begins running to first base. Asia and Latin America Bat flipping is popular in Asi...

 

Toofan (2012 film)

2012 Indian filmToofanDirected bySmile SeenuWritten bySmile SeenuProduced byH. Jade GowdaStarring Yashas Nakshatra Chandan CinematographyRavi SuvarnaMusic byElvin JosuhaProductioncompanyH J Gowda ProductionRelease date 20 April 2012 (2012-04-20) CountryIndiaLanguageKannada Toofan is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Smile Seenu and starring Yashas, Nakshatra and Chandan. Cast Yashas as Surya Nakshatra as Raji Chandan as Akash Ramesh Bhat Shivaram V...

 

LMO1

Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens LMO1IdentifiersAliasesLMO1, RBTN1, RHOM1, TTG1, LIM domain only 1External IDsOMIM: 186921 MGI: 102812 HomoloGene: 48101 GeneCards: LMO1 Gene location (Human)Chr.Chromosome 11 (human)[1]Band11p15.4Start8,224,309 bp[1]End8,268,716 bp[1]Gene location (Mouse)Chr.Chromosome 7 (mouse)[2]Band7 E3|7 57.21 cMStart108,737,779 bp[2]End108,774,414 bp[2]RNA expression patternBgeeHumanMouse (ortholog)Top ex...

约翰斯顿环礁

此條目可参照英語維基百科相應條目来扩充。 (2021年5月6日)若您熟悉来源语言和主题，请协助参考外语维基百科扩充条目。请勿直接提交机械翻译，也不要翻译不可靠、低品质内容。依版权协议，译文需在编辑摘要注明来源，或于讨论页顶部标记{{Translated page}}标签。 约翰斯顿环礁Kalama Atoll 美國本土外小島嶼 Johnston Atoll 旗幟颂歌：《星條旗》The Star-Spangled Banner約翰斯頓環礁�...

 

Uncyclopedia

UncyclopediaTangkapan layar dari halaman utama Uncyclopedia bahasa Indonesia.URLUncyclopedia TolololpediaTipeHumor/WikiBersifat komersial?YaPendaftaranOpsional (bebas)Bahasabanyak bahasa LisensiCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Mesin perangkat lunakMediaWiki PembuatJonathan HuangStillwatersBerdiri sejak5 Januari 2005; 19 tahun lalu (2005-01-05)Peringkat Alexa47.538 (19 Juni 2019) StatusAktif Uncyclopedia adalah ensiklopedia bebas dan terbuka yang merupakan parodi dari...

 

Andy Ruiz Jr.

Mexican-American boxer (born 1989) For the Guatemalan footballer, see Andy Ruiz (footballer). Andy Ruiz Jr.Ruiz Jr. in 2019BornAndrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. (1989-09-11) September 11, 1989 (age 34)Imperial, California, U.S.[1][2][3]Other namesDestroyerStatisticsWeight(s)HeavyweightHeight1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]Reach74 in (188 cm)[1]StanceOrthodox Boxing recordTotal fights37Wins35Wins by KO22Losses2 Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. (born S...

List of extinct languages of South America

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: List of extinct languages of South America – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2023) (Learn how and when to ...

 

Stefano Bontade

Italian Mafia member (1939–1981) Stefano BontadeBornStefano Bontate(1939-04-23)23 April 1939Palermo, ItalyDied23 April 1981(1981-04-23) (aged 42)Palermo, ItalyCause of deathGunshots (Ak-47)Body discoveredIn a carNationalityItalianOther namesPrincipe di Villagrazia, Il FalcoAllegianceSicilian Mafia Stefano Bontade (23 April 1939 – 23 April 1981), born Stefano Bontate, was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the boss of the Santa Maria di Gesù Family in Palermo. ...