Irish Family Names - N
MacNAMARA
NAME ON MAP: MacCONMARA MODERN COUNTY: Clare MEANING: `son of Conmara'. (The name derived from cu `hound' and na mara `of the sea'.)
MacNEILL
NAME ON MAP: MacNEILL MODERN COUNTY: Antrim MEANING: `son of Neill'. (The name may have mean `champion'.) Although many Scottish MacNeills came to Ireland with the 17th century plantation of Ulster, one sept, originally galloglasses, was established in Antrim 300 years earlier. See the entry for MacDonnell.
O'NEILL
NAME ON MAP: O'NÉILL MODERN COUNTIES: Tyrone, Antrim MEANING: `descendant of Niall'. This is possibly the oldest European surname. The main Ulster sept traced its direct ancestry from Donell O'Néill grandson of Niall, King of Ireland, who was killed in battle by the Vikings in 919. The tribal name Ui Néill, however, was far older, being that of a branch of the royal house of Tara claiming descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages in about 360. The tribe held Tir Eoghan (modern Tyrone with some of Derry and Donegal) and for many centuries claimed to be High Kings of Ireland, although it is extremely doubtful that their writ ever extended over Munster. The O'Neill Clann Aodha Buidhe (Clannaboy) sept, taking its name from Aoch Buidhe (Hugh Boy), killed 1283, moved east to Antrim about 1300. (The name Niall may mean `champion', although `cloud' and `passionate' also have their advocates.')
O'NOLAN
NAME ON MAP: O'NUALLAIN MODERN COUNTY: Carlow MEANING: `descendant of Nuallán'. (The name is possibly related to modern Irish noallan `cry'.)
NUGENT
NAME ON MAP: NUGENT MODERN COUNTY: Meath MEANING: an Anglo-Norman name. Hugh de Nugent, died 1213, came to Ireland in 1172. His great-grandfather Fulke de Bellesme, Lord of Nogent (in Normandy) had come to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. The place-name Nogent was a corruption of LATIN Novientum `new settlement'.
MacNULTY
NAME ON MAP: Mac an ULTAIGH MODERN COUNTY: Donegal MEANING: `son of the Ulsterman'. One of this name was killed in the Battle of Desertcreagh in 1281. The sept was closely connected to the MacDonlevys, whose chief often appears in the Annals under the name of Ultach.