Avoneil (sic) is recorded as the name of a house in 1854. It was the residence of Dr. Robert McKibbin, owner of Connswater Mill. In August 1854 he went bankrupt and had to sell up. It appears that the house-name was conceived as an alternative version of Connswater, which refers to Con O'Neill (c. 1574-1619), last Gaelic chieftain of Upper Clandeboye. It is probably an anglicisation of Ir. Abhainn (Uí) Néill, 'river of O'Neill'.
Avoneil Street is recorded in 1871. The name is also spelt "Avoniel Street" and the spelling with "ie" comes to dominate from then onwards. The name was then adopted by a football club, a distillery and a leisure centre.
"Resolved - That the names Avoniel Drive and Avoniel Parade be approved for new streets on the property of Messrs. Thomas McKee & Sons, Ltd., situated off Avoniel Road and Beersbridge Road". (19th December 1933).
Avoniel Drive is first listed in the 1935 BUD with houses listed from 1-45 on the odd side and 2-20 on the even side with two being described as vacant.