Surname Nelis - Meaning and Origin
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Nelis: What does the surname Nelis mean?
The surname Nelis is of Irish and Dutch origin, and is derived from the Gaelic and Old Dutch words for “champion” or “warrior." The name was most likely given to an ancestor of the family who embodied these characteristics.
In Irish, the spelling of the surname is often written as Niallis in an effort to emphasize the Irish roots of the name. Across all its variations, the Nelis surname has been common in the Ulster region of Northern Ireland, where it was first recorded around 1650, and the southeastern region of The Netherlands.
In Irish history, the Niallis surname was borne by Niall Mor, a great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the High King of Ireland in the 4th century. Niall Mor was the founder of the Clan Collins and the ancient MacNeilis dynasty. The Niallis family was then prominent in Irish and Scottish politics during the middle ages, and later in the 16th century during the Plantation of Ulster.
Today, many people bearing the Nelis surname have chosen to keep its proud Irish and Dutch heritage alive, celebrating its history as a name for champions and warriors.
Order DNA origin analysisNelis: Where does the name Nelis come from?
The last name Nelis is most commonly found in Europe. It is particularly popular in Germany and the Netherlands. In Germany, Nelis is considered to be a variant of the name Nilles. In the Netherlands, it is thought to be a variant of the surname Nelis.
The surname has also spread to other countries around the world, particularly to the United States and Canada. In the US, the surname is most popular among descendants of Dutch ancestors that immigrated to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In Canada, the surname is found in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The surname is also fairly common in the French Caribbean.
In the United Kingdom, Nelis is not particularly common. However, it is still found in a few areas such as Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales. It is also quite common in New Zealand and Australia.
The last name Nelis may derive from the Dutch male given name Nelis or from the German noun Nille meaning “a hammer”. The alternative spelling Nilles is likely to have the same origin.
Variations of the surname Nelis
The surname Nelis is believed to originated from a number of different countries, and is believed to have derived from a variety of spellings and variants. In countries of Dutch and Flemish origin the surname is most common in the variants Neels, Neyls, Neele and Nellis. In other areas such as France, the surname may derive from the Latin name Nelius or Nelisius, and so it may take the form of Nelis, Nelisse and Nelys.
The Germanic countries of the Netherlands and Belgium are especially associated with the name Nelis, and in the Netherlands a topographical variant exists in the form Nelisse. Other variants found in the Netherlands include Neels, Neils and Neyles, whilst in Belgium a variant specifically of surrounding provinces East Flanders, West Flanders and Antwerp is Neels.
In other countries, such as Italy, the variant of the name Nelis can take the form of Nellis or Nelli, derived from a Latin spelling. In some countries, the Latin spelling has also given rise to the variant Neille, so we may find both Nelis and Neille as names respectively in countries such as France, Italy and Germany.
The surname Nelis has also been known to link with variants of the family tree, as well as give rise to variant spelling of associated surnames. In the Netherlands and Flanders variations of the name can be found in the form of Neelisse, Nelissen and Nelissers, whilst in Britain and Ireland the new surnames Nellise and Nelliss can be found as a result of an ancient Nelis family tree. Other associated surnames may include Neils, Nellar, Nelsa and Nelsen.
Famous people with the name Nelis
- Mees Nelis: Dutch professional ice hockey player.
- Joris Nelis: Belgian actor.
- Rob Nelis: Dutch footballer.
- Sam Nelis: Australian football player.
- Ryan Nelis: Irish Gaelic footballer.
- Amy Nelis: Canadian model.
- Pim Nelis: Dutch model.
- Erik Nelis: Dutch author.
- Kirsty Nelis: British journalist.
- Mark Nelis: Dutch environmentalist.
- Tim Nelis: Dutch electrician.
- Julien Nelis: Belgian television presenter.
- Helmut Nelis: Austrian ski racer.
- Pierre Nelis: Belgian football player.
- Wendy Nelis: Dutch music producer.
- Bart Nelis: Belgian photographer.
- Fan Nelis: Dutch radio presenter.
- Katsuyuki Nelis: Japanese actor.
- Jo Nelis: Belgian soccer coach.
- Simon Nelis: British soccer coach.