Gelly

Gelly is a surname of British origin, with recorded instances dating back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Olde English pre-7th Century personal name "Gilli", itself a short form of any of the various compound names with "gisl" ('hostage', 'pledge').

One of the earliest known recordings of the surname Gelly dates back to the 13th century when a family bearing this name resided in the ancient county of Cornwall. Over the centuries, individuals with the surname Gelly have dispersed across various regions in the United Kingdom and beyond, contributing to different professions and societal roles.

The distribution of the surname Gelly has been documented across different regions in England, reflecting the movement and settlement patterns of families over time. The name has undergone variations in spelling, which is a common phenomenon in the evolution of surnames.

Today, individuals bearing the surname Gelly can be found across the United Kingdom and in various parts of the world, with branches of the family tree extending into different countries through migration and global connections.

The surname Gelly carries with it a rich history and a sense of heritage that links its bearers to their ancestral roots in the British Isles.

There are approximately 82 people named Gelly in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Gelly.

Typical given names associated with the surname

Male

Female

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

BritishSurnames.uk is a Good Stuff website.