Kelly
A very common Irish surname, also found in England and Scotland, originally tied to a place-name and later widely used as an Irish family name.
The #74 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,155 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English use, Kelly is a locational surname from the parish and manor of Kelly in Devon. The name is recorded in old forms connected with a place in Devonshire, and families living there took the place-name as their surname. In Irish, Kelly is usually an anglicized form of Gaelic surnames such as Ó Ceallaigh, from a personal name meaning roughly 'warrior' or 'strife' in older Celtic interpretation.
History
Lower notes an old Devon family of Kelly, and later genealogy linked them with the manor of Kelly. In Ireland, however, Kelly became one of the most widespread surnames, and modern bearers are often of Gaelic origin rather than descended from the Devon line. The name is also common in Manx usage, where related forms such as Kewley have sometimes been treated as variants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
By the late 19th century, Kelly was already among the most common surnames in Ireland, appearing near the top of surname frequency lists.
From the historical record
“Lancashire. KELLY. KELLEY. The Kelleys were in old times resident in the parish of that name in Devonshire, and the Irish Kellys, now very numerous, bear the same arms. According to the genenlogy in B.L.G., the Kellys of Kelly " may look back beyond the Conquest and derive themselves from the ancient Britons !" Mr.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom