Expert: Michael FitzGerald Date: 6/13/2008 Subject: Question of my parents names
Question origin
My Mother's maiden name is McNeal, and her Mother my grandmother's maiden name was Cunningham and in turn married my father and our last name is Church.
Are you aware of the origination on any of the names listed above?
Church
Cunningham
McNeal
Answer Hi Lavonne
Hope this answers your question.
Church Surname Origin
Locality. A house of Christian worship, derived from the old English chirch, and Scottish Kirk, Latin circus, and this from the Gaelic cearcal, a temple, a round building. The root of Church is from the Gaelic car, roundness, from which we have cirke or kirke.
Neil Surname Origin
In the Cornish British signifies power, might, that is, the powerful or mighty. Neul or Nial, in the Gaelic, signifies a cloud or hue; figuratively, a dark complexion.
(McNeal, McNeil, McNeill, etc., are variant forms of the surname Neil)
Cunningham Surname Origin
(Origin Scottish Locality) A district in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name signifies the dwelling of the chief or king, from the Saxon, cyning, Dutch, koning, a leader or chief, and ham, a house or town.
