O'KELLY
Recorded variant spellings include O Kelly, O' Kelly, O'kelly, Okelly
O'Kelly
The surname O'Kelly, sometimes spelled as O'Kelley, is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Ceallaigh, meaning "descendant of Ceallach." The name Ceallach itself is composed of the elements "ceall," meaning "strife" or "contention," and "ach," denoting an affectionate diminutive.
The O'Kellys were a prominent Gaelic Irish clan, with several branches spread throughout Ireland. They were historically associated with the region of Ui Maine in County Galway, where they held significant power and controlled vast territories. The clan produced many chieftains and leaders who played important roles in Irish history.
During the period of English conquest and colonization in Ireland, many O'Kellys resisted foreign rule and participated in various uprisings and rebellions against English authority. As a result, some O'Kellys were forced to leave Ireland and settle in other countries, including England and Scotland.
In subsequent centuries, O'Kellys migrated to other parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, where they established new communities and continued to preserve their Irish identity and heritage.
Today, the surname O'Kelly remains relatively common in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora. It is often found in historical records, genealogical research, and contemporary society, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of this ancient Irish clan.
Typical given names associated with the O'Kelly surname
Male
- Christopher
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Kieron
- Mchael
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Sean
- Thomas
Female
- Ann
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jessica
- Lorraine
- Margaret
- Susan
- Tara
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 O'Kelly in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Semaphore doesn't have codes for punctuation, so names that include apostrophes or hyphens cannot be represented precisely
There are approximately 865 people named O'Kelly in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,270th most common surname in Britain. Around 13 in a million people in Britain are named O'Kelly.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named O'Kelly
- Richard O'Kelly - Football player
- Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly - Irish literary critic
- Malcolm O'Kelly - Irish rugby union player
- Con O'Kelly - Olympic wrestler (1886 to 1947)
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.