History of your Surname
Get access to Neilly family records.Start a free trial

Neilly Family History

Neilly Name Meaning

reduced from Mac an Fhilidh ‘son of the poet’ see McNeilly .

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: Neill, Reilly, Neily, Neally, Lilly, Tilly, Kelly, Neville, Billy

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Neilly family from?

You can see how Neilly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Neilly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Neilly families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 53 Neilly families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Neilly's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Neilly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Neilly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Neilly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Neilly. 72% of Neilly men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Neilly women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Neilly were Salesman and Income. .

View Census Data for Neilly | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    72%
  • Salesman
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    50%
  • Income
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Neilly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Neilly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Neilly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Neilly

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Neilly. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Neilly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 811 military records available for the last name Neilly. For the veterans among your Neilly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Neilly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Neilly family history

Discover More

What is the average Neilly lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Neilly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Neilly in 1964 was 81, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Neilly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Neilly family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Neilly last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial