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 | 15 |
| Buckinghamshire | 24 |
| Berkshire | 59 |
| Cambridgeshire | 4 |
| Channel Islands | 76 |
| Cheshire | 825 |
| Cornwall | 229 |
| Cumberland | 469 |
| Derbyshire | 212 |
| Devon | 578 |
| Dorset | 47 |
| Durham | 1,382 |
| Essex | 155 |
| Gloucestershire | 192 |
| Hampshire | 255 |
| Herefordshire | 12 |
| Hertfordshire | 34 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 6 |
| Isle of Man | 2,085 |
| Kent | 149 |
| Lancashire | 7,721 |
| Leicestershire | 39 |
| Lincolnshire | 79 |
| London | 2,595 |
| Middlesex | 132 |
| Northumberland | 632 |
| Norfolk | 12 |
| Northamptonshire | 33 |
| Nottinghamshire | 105 |
| Oxfordshire | 9 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 6 |
| Shropshire | 53 |
| Suffolk | 9 |
| Somerset | 132 |
| Surrey | 186 |
| Sussex | 98 |
| Staffordshire | 501 |
| Warwickshire | 448 |
| Westmorland | 21 |
| Wiltshire | 68 |
| Worcestershire | 65 |
| Yorkshire | 2,126 |
| Anglesey | 2 |
| Brecknockshire | 17 |
| Cardiganshire | 8 |
| Carnarvonshire | 15 |
| Carmarthenshire | 6 |
| Denbighshire | 79 |
| Flintshire | 51 |
| Glamorgan | 231 |
| Merionethshire | 3 |
| Montgomeryshire | 9 |
| Monmouthshire | 154 |
| Pembrokeshire | 31 |
| Radnorshire | 5 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 4,092 |
| General Labourer | 520 |
| Labourer | 431 |
| Domestic Servant | 260 |
| Coal Miner | 258 |
| Dress Maker | 204 |
| General Servant | 168 |
| Cotton Weaver | 168 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 150 |
| Laundress | 148 |
| Dock Labourer | 144 |
| Hawker | 141 |
| Tailor | 130 |
| House Keeper | 122 |
| Charwoman | 115 |
| Fisherman | 107 |
| General Servant Domestic | 99 |
| Farm Labourer | 90 |
| Tailoress | 82 |
| Servant | 80 |
| Cotton Operative | 80 |
| Joiner | 69 |
| Bricklayer Labourer | 67 |
| Shoe Maker | 61 |
| Lead Miner | 61 |
| 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