Surname Neele - Meaning and Origin
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Neele: What does the surname Neele mean?
The surname Neele is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English word "neah," meaning "near," and "hyll," meaning "hill." Therefore, Neele translates to "near the hill." The name likely originated as a topographical reference for someone who lived near a significant hill or mountain. It first appeared in records in the 12th century in Suffolk, East Anglia. As with many surnames, spellings have varied over centuries, including Neel, Neill, and Nihill. Notable individuals with this surname include the British detective novelist Patricia Wentworth, whose real name was Dora Amy Elles and used Patricia Wentworth as a pseudonym, and Robert Neele, an American Republican politician. Despite its roots in the British Isles, Neele is a relatively rare surname today but can still be found amongst populations in England and the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisNeele: Where does the name Neele come from?
The last name Neele is most commonly found in the Netherlands. A study from 2016 by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported that it is the 30th most common surname in the Netherlands. It is also found in other parts of Europe, particularly Germany, due to historic migrations of Dutch people to other countries.
Outside of Europe, Neele is less common. Nonetheless, it is sometimes found in North America, especially in the United States and Canada. This is likely due to fairly recent immigration from Europe to the Americas over the past few centuries.
Neele is also an uncommon surname in the United Kingdom. English people began adopting surnames as early as the 11th century, but records of the surname Neele in the UK are relatively scarce compared to other countries with more recent mass immigration. Nonetheless, there have been some waves of Dutch immigration to the UK over the past few centuries which may account for some of the Neele families found here.
People with this surname today may have ancestors originally from the Netherlands, Germany, or the United States; there are also variants of the name Neele found in other countries. It’s possible that people with the name today could come from any of these locations.
Variations of the surname Neele
Neele is a surname that can be spelled in multiple ways. Neele is typically of Dutch origin and is spelled the same way in German, Dutch, and Afrikaans regions.
This surname is also seen as the Dutch and Belgian spelling of the German surname Nel, of which the root is believed to derive from the old Germanic name “neuila”, which means “newly acquired land”.
In other cases, Neele is pronounced differently and can be spelled as Neel, Niel, Niell, and Niele, depending on the location and culture. It is also sometimes seen as Nielle, Niells, Niellen, Niels, Nielles, and Nielsen.
Another variation of the Neele surname is Nielen, which is Dutch, colloquially known as Nielen or Nihell. This variant is less common and is often seen as “Nielen van der Wees”, with “van der Wees” indicating that the individuals descended from the same family.
The spelling can also vary due to interpretations and translations from Dutch to English, resulting in spellings such as Niels, Nilon, and Neylon.
Finally, “Neele” is also used as a given name in some cultures, such as Spanish and Spanish-speaking countries. In these cases, the spelling Niel would be used as a surname.
Famous people with the name Neele
- Natalie Neele: Actress and musician featured in Tom Petty: American Girl
- Michael Neele: Actor best known for his starring roles in the TV series Battle Girl and Hitman
- Emily Neele: Actress best known for her role in The Time Travelers Wife
- Lisa Neele: Actress featured in Beverly Hills, 90210, Golden Girls, Parenthood and The Outsiders
- Georgina Neele: British model and influencer
- Jörn Neele: Former professional football player from Germany
- Sebastian Neele: Professional tennis player from Germany
- Bob Neele: Former professional baseball player
- Kenneth Neele: Professional calligrapher and author of books on lettering
- Leonard Neele: Painter from the Netherlands best known for his landscapes and seascapes