Kelly Name Meaning: Originally of Gaelic derivation, taken from the surname 'ceallach', meaning 'church'. Similarly the Irish 'O'Ceallaigh' means 'descendant of war'. Also may have originated from the Scottish 'coille' meaning 'grove'.
A popular Irish surname taken from the Gaelic name 'O'Ceallaigh' which was eventually shortened to 'O'Kelly'. In English/Scottish this surname derives from @celli' and 'coille' meaning grove and may have been given to someone who worked in or lived near a grove or wood.
Discover how your Kelly ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 19 |
| Buckinghamshire | 33 |
| Berkshire | 35 |
| Cambridgeshire | 10 |
| Channel Islands | 37 |
| Cheshire | 776 |
| Cornwall | 178 |
| Cumberland | 284 |
| Derbyshire | 134 |
| Devon | 522 |
| Dorset | 56 |
| Durham | 1,308 |
| Essex | 236 |
| Gloucestershire | 148 |
| Hampshire | 249 |
| Herefordshire | 8 |
| Hertfordshire | 35 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 6 |
| Isle of Man | 1,806 |
| Kent | 184 |
| Lancashire | 6,731 |
| Leicestershire | 71 |
| Lincolnshire | 76 |
| London | 2,629 |
| Middlesex | 235 |
| Northumberland | 528 |
| Norfolk | 26 |
| Northamptonshire | 34 |
| Nottinghamshire | 99 |
| Oxfordshire | 17 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 6 |
| Shropshire | 81 |
| Suffolk | 6 |
| Somerset | 114 |
| Surrey | 184 |
| Sussex | 107 |
| Staffordshire | 460 |
| Warwickshire | 348 |
| Westmorland | 18 |
| Wiltshire | 54 |
| Worcestershire | 44 |
| Yorkshire | 1,924 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 14 |
| Cardiganshire | 10 |
| Carnarvonshire | 25 |
| Carmarthenshire | 2 |
| Denbighshire | 104 |
| Flintshire | 26 |
| Glamorgan | 221 |
| Merionethshire | 3 |
| Montgomeryshire | 2 |
| Monmouthshire | 129 |
| Pembrokeshire | 16 |
| Radnorshire | 6 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 3,071 |
| General Labourer | 580 |
| Coal Miner | 342 |
| Labourer | 279 |
| Domestic Servant | 180 |
| Dress Maker | 170 |
| Cotton Weaver | 150 |
| Dock Labourer | 128 |
| Hawker | 116 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 115 |
| General Servant | 106 |
| Living On Own Means | 106 |
| Tailor | 103 |
| Tailoress | 100 |
| Laundress | 98 |
| Living On Her Own Means | 93 |
| General Servant Domestic | 90 |
| Farmer | 88 |
| Cotton Spinner | 80 |
| Charwoman | 79 |
| Farm Labourer | 66 |
| House Keeper | 65 |
| Carter | 60 |
| General Domestic Servant | 60 |
| Fisherman | 57 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| John Kelly | 13,947 |
| Mary Kelly | 13,842 |
| James Kelly | 7,966 |
| Thomas Kelly | 7,815 |
| William Kelly | 7,780 |
| Elizabeth Kelly | 5,316 |
| Margaret Kelly | 5,225 |
| Catherine Kelly | 4,218 |
| Ann Kelly | 3,606 |
| Patrick Kelly | 3,501 |
| Sarah Kelly | 3,137 |
| Ellen Kelly | 3,089 |
| Michael Kelly | 2,837 |
| Jane Kelly | 2,745 |
| Edward Kelly | 2,564 |
| Annie Kelly | 2,307 |
| Joseph Kelly | 2,253 |
| Bridget Kelly | 2,222 |
| George Kelly | 1,978 |
| Robert Kelly | 1,943 |
| Henry Kelly | 1,564 |
| Charles Kelly | 1,481 |
| Alice Kelly | 1,478 |
| Eliza Kelly | 1,363 |
| Peter Kelly | 1,191 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kelly | 100% | 154,525 |
| 2 | Kelley | 83% | 25,023 |
| 3 | Keeley | 67% | 8,773 |
| 4 | Killey | 67% | 3,726 |
| 5 | Killy | 80% | 3,601 |
| 6 | Keely | 80% | 2,691 |
| 7 | Keley | 80% | 1,505 |
| 8 | Kellie | 67% | 654 |
| 9 | Kely | 80% | 345 |
| 10 | Kally | 80% | 288 |
| 11 | Keilly | 83% | 216 |
| 12 | Kalley | 67% | 141 |
| 13 | Okelly | 83% | 113 |
The surname Kelly is the most popular version of all its varients