KILTY
The surname Kilty originates from the Gaelic language and has been recorded in both Scotland and Ireland. The earliest form is believed to be derived from the word coillteach, which means “of the woods” or “woodland” and was traditionally given to a person who lived near or within a forested area.
In Ireland the name is an anglicised version of the ancient Gaelic names Ó Caoilte or Mac Caoilte, both of which carry the prefix “O” or “Mac” to indicate “descendant” or “son” of the personal name Caoilte. The root coill again refers to wood, while a competing derivation links the name to caol, meaning “the slender one,” a nickname for the chief of the clan. The earliest documented spelling is that of Teag O’Kilte in the County Limerick Justiciary Rolls of 1307‑1327.
Other early spellings include Keilty, Kiltie and Quilty. In recent centuries the “O” prefix has largely fallen out of use, though variants such as McQuilty or MacQuilty can still be found, particularly in Ulster.
The name appears in English records from the early twelfth century, with a reference as early as 1220. By the sixteenth century it was common throughout County Clare and was recorded in 1605. In 1684 a settler named Robert Kilty emigrated from Ireland to the United States, signalling the beginning of the surname’s transatlantic spread.
Across the British Isles, the surname is most frequently found in the West of Ireland—including Munster, Cork, Clare, Galway and Mayo—and in Scotland. Within England it is most common in the East Midlands, the South East, the North East and, to a lesser extent, in the South West. According to the 2011 census, the name occurs in only 0.37 % of the population of England and Wales, making it the 859th most common surname in that country.
Worldwide, the surname has a modest presence in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Its low frequency in the British population together with its widespread geographical distribution make it a distinctive family name.
In contemporary use the surname is sometimes associated with notions of skill and agility, a resonance with earlier meanings that linked the name to the “swift runner” or “ingenious person” described by the Old Irish caolte. Whether considered a marker of heritage or a symbol of personal attributes, the Kilty name continues to be carried by families across the globe with a sense of pride in its deep Gaelic roots.
Typical given names associated with the Kilty surname
Male
- David
- Duncan
- Edward
- Ian
- James
- John
- Kevin
- Michael
- Paul
- Robin
- Shaun
- Thomas
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Joanne
- Julie
- Kathleen
- Kim
- Linda
- Lorraine
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Penelope
- Samantha
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Kilty in...
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There are approximately 459 people named Kilty in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around seven in a million people in Britain are named Kilty.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Kilty
- Richard Kilty - Sprinter
- Mark Kilty - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.