The Neary surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,844 people carried this name — #6,926 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 61,000 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,806 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 43 births for the Neary name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,900 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 9 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Mayo, Roscommon, Dublin, and Louth.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 27
Leinster 12
Munster 2
Ulster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Neary was recorded 11 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1788th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Neary in American newspapers,
1899.

Newspaper page from Daily Inter Mountain carrying the name Neary
Daily Inter Mountain 1899-05-18
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Neary
The Anaconda Standard 1899-05-19
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Neary
The Anaconda Standard 1899-01-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 49,281 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Neary in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

3,320 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Neary. The most, 1,123, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 1,152
New South Wales 1,018
Victoria 961
Western Australia 111
South Australia 41
ACT (Canberra) 25
Tasmania 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Neary.

Who carried it

People named Neary,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alcott Neary 1892–1941 · basketball player
  • Lynn Neary 1901– · journalist
  • Frank Neary 1921–2004 · association football player
  • Frank Neary 1921–2004 · association football player
  • Steve Neary 1925–1996 · politician
  • Martin Neary 1940–2025 · conductor

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Neary,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,678 records

1,678 records of the Neary name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 718
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 279
  • Other U.S. records 681
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John S. Neary

    Born 1917 in Texas. Enlisted 1941 at Houston; transport worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War; died 1982, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret M. Neary

    Arrived at New York in 1862 aboard the Emerald Isle from Liverpool, aged 36; governess. From Tipperary, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard A. Neary

    Born 1932; from St Albans, Vermont. U.S. Army, field artillery cannoneer; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,678 records for Neary in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Canada208 records

208 records of the Neary name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 195
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 5
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Guy Patrick Neary

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 27; buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Vincent Benedict Neary

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Francis Joseph Neary

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 208 records for Neary in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia150 records

150 records of the Neary name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 74
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 29
  • Other Australian records 47
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Walter Neary

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Hercules, arriving 1825; ticket of leave 1830. Native of London.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Kate Neary

    Arrived in Queensland in 1874 aboard the Great Queensland, aged 22.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Neary

    Farmer of Murmungee, Victoria; died 1987.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 150 records for Neary in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Neary name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Neary

    Suffolk Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. Neary

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Neary in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland4 records

4 records of the Neary name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Neary

    Died 1995, aged 75; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Neary

    Died 1983; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Nuala Neary

    Died 1976, aged 58; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Neary in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Neary name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Joseph Elise Neary

    Born 1905 in Saint-Siméon-de-Bressieux; died 1983 in Saint-Siméon-de-Bressieux (Isère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Neary.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Neary is.
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