There are several early Irish saints who bore this name. Irish derivation: Ó Ceallaigh. It may originate from the Clan Kelly, located in Scotland, which may have derived from the toponym Kelloe. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Kelly and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. SDB Popularity ranking: 308. The much lamented Grace Kelly of Monaco was of Irish stock. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. O'Kelly of Gallagh, whose claim to the designation chief of the name is officially recognised is entitled to be called the O'Kelly. The surname Kelly in Ireland is derived from O'Ceallaigh, which is based on the popular personal name Ceallach, meaning either 'bright headed' or 'troublesome'. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kelly were Dock Labourer and Housewife, View Census data for Kelly | Data not to scale. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Ceallach" meaning "strife" or … The personal name Ceallach has been thought to mean "white-headed", but the current understanding is that the name means "frequenting churches", derived from the Irish ceall. The history and meaning of the name Kelly is fascinating, learn more about it. In 1891 there were 8,307 Kelly families living in Lancashire. The original Gaelic form of the name Kelly is O Ceallaigh or Mac Ceallaigh. The most Kelly families were found in the USA in 1880. As a surname the name may come from multiple places. This interesting surname, with variant spellings Kelley and Kellie, has three distinct possible origins. © 2017 Name Origin Research. There are 419,000 immigration records available for the last name Kelly. In England this was known as Poll Tax. The most Kelly families were found in the USA in 1880. Kelly is … In 1911 there were 2,909 Kelly families living in Ontario. There are 370,000 military records available for the last name Kelly. The Kelly surname, along with common variants Kelley and Kellie, has a number of possible origins. Everything you need to know about the Irish surname Kelly - its meaning, origins, interesting facts and famous people with the last name Kelly. An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kelly ancestors lived in harsh conditions. Simply start with a family member and we'll do the searching for you. The name Kelly is also a Scottish name, meaning wood. The Kelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more. Firstly, the surname is a possible Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic surname of “O’Ceallaigh.” The patronymic surname has two elements. User Submitted Meanings. In 1891 there were 8,307 Kelly families living in Lancashire. Framed History And Complete History- Brown. There are several early Irish saints who bore this name. This was about 19% of all the recorded Kelly's in the USA. During the peak of the name's popularity in the United States during the 1960s to 1970s, feminine usage was about four to five times as frequent as masculine usage. In 1840 there were 519 Kelly families living in New York. Apart from this fact the origins of the name Kelly-at least in Ireland, where it is most numerous-are obscure. ; A submission from Kenya says the name Kelly means "Strong and a fighter" and is of Mexican origin. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallach’, an ancient Irish personal name, originally a byname meaning ‘bright-headed’, later understood as ‘frequenting churches’ (Irish ceall). One possible derivation is from the Gaelic word ‘ceallach’ which means ‘conflict, strife or war’. In many cases Kelly is an Anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh (IPA [oːˈcal̪ˠiː]), which means "descendant of Ceallach" or it can also mean warrior or fighter. The Kelly surname, along with common variants Kelley and Kellie, has a number of possible origins.Most commonly it loosely means "descendant of war," from the ancient Irish name "O'Ceallaigh." The Kelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Ceallach" meaning "strife" or "contention". Irish : Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallach’, an ancient Irish personal name, originally a byname meaning ‘bright-headed’, later understood as ‘frequenting churches’ (Irish ceall). The main (O')Kelly clan belonged to Ui Maine (mid Galway and South Roscommon), and the reigning chieftain, O'Ceallaigh (circa 1351), was a renowned patron of the arts. Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press. Firstly, it is an Anglicized form of the great Old Gaelic name "O'Ceallaigh". This personal name may be derived from the word "ceallach," which means "strife." The O'Kelly or Kelly of the Clan Brasil Mac Coolechan orig… 308. This was about 49% of all the recorded Kelly's in Canada. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kelly surname lived. The average life expectancy for Kelly in 1940 was 57, and 74 in 2004. Firstly, it is an Anglicized form of the great Old Gaelic name "O'Ceallaigh". 13% of Kelly men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Kelly women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. *We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs. You've only scratched the surface of Kelly family history. ; According to a user from Arizona, U.S., the name Kelly is of English origin and means "I was told that it means "strong" or "strength"". Kelly is now the most common of all Irish family names in Ireland. Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Kelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2000. The Irish name Kelly has a long Gaelic heritage to its credit. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. John de Kelly, noted in "Scottish Acts of Parliament" was abbot of Arbroath in 1373. In 1521, the birth of Henry, son of William Kelly and Jane Trecarrell, was recorded in Kelly, Devonshire. © Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2017. The Kelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. These names denote descendants of Ceallach. This was about 34% of all the recorded Kelly's in the UK. The Kelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more. Lancashire had the highest population of Kelly families in 1891. Normally the surname Kelly comes from the Gaelic O’Ceallaigh. In other cases the surname Kelly is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Cadhla, which means "descendant of Cadhla". Like the Irish name it was first a surname, and has only become a first name in the later part of the 20th century. Last name: Kelly. Origins of Name: The surname of Kelly has possible derivations in the countries of both Ireland and England. All rights reserved. Enjoy this name printed onto our colourful scroll, printed in Olde English script. The most Kelly families were found in the USA in 1880. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Ceallach" meaning "strife" or "contention." Finally, the name may be of Scottish territorial origin from the lands of Kelly near Arbroath, Angus, named with the Gaelic element "coille", wood or grove. SDB Popularity ranking: Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Kelly and its name origin or of any other name in our database. In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Kelly. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. Ontario had the highest population of Kelly families in 1911. Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish, Operated by Ancestry Ireland Unlimited Company. Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in your family tree, Browse profiles of historical people with the Kelly last name, This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. An Irish surname that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century. Lancashire had the highest population of Kelly families in 1891. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. Kelly /ˈkɛli/ is an English-language unisex given name, derived from the Irish surname Kelly. Meaning & History Anglicized form of the Irish given name CEALLACH or the surname derived from it Ó Ceallaigh . Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations. What did your Kelly ancestors do for a living? View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kelly. New York had the highest population of Kelly families in 1840. This interesting surname, with variant spellings Kelley and Kellie, has three distinct possible origins. This was about 34% of all the recorded Kelly's in the UK. An ideal gift. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Ceallach" meaning "strife" or "contention". Click. You can see how Kelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. Kelly Origin: Ireland, England. Most commonly it loosely means "descendant of war," from the ancient Irish name "O'Ceallaigh." As such, Kelly is historically a male-only name but has predominantly been used as a feminine given name since the 1960s, though with a significant minority usage as a masculine name, especially within Celtic families. The most Kelly families were found in the USA in 1880. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Warin de Kelly, which was dated 1194, in the "Pipe Rolls of Devonshire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. The O'Ceallaighs were a native Gaelic sept located in Counties Galway, Meath, Wicklow, Antrim and Sligo. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982). There are 2 million census records available for the last name Kelly. A submission from Virginia, U.S. says the name Kelly means "Warrior Woman" and is of Irish origin. The surname may also be of English locational origin, from a place thus called in Devonshire, recorded as "Kelli" in the 1194 Pipe Rolls of that County, and named with the Welsh/Cornish "celli", grove. For the veterans among your Kelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. An Unpaid Domestic Duties a native Gaelic sept located in Scotland, which means `` Strong a! Country have continued to `` develop '' often leading to astonishing variants of the name is recognised. To scale name may come from multiple places meaning & history Anglicized form of the surname! 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