O'Neal surname meaning

O’Neal is an anglicized Irish patronymic related to Ó Néill, meaning “descendant of Niall.” The apostrophe and accent are often lost in civil, immigration, and Census records, producing Oneal or Oneill. Niall is traditionally glossed as “champion,” but that traditional interpretation belongs to the ancestor’s personal name rather than to every O’Neal family. O’Neill and O’Neal can reflect related Gaelic naming history while still representing different branches and spelling choices. The catalog uses parent’s name with high confidence because the Ó Néill descendant formation is direct.