Kelly (surname)


Kelly or O'Kelly is a surname of Irish origin. It derives from the Kings of Uí Maine. The name is a partially anglicised version of older Irish names and has numerous origins, most notably from the Ui Maine. In some cases it is derived from toponyms located in Ireland and Great Britain; in other cases it is derived from patronyms in the Irish language.

Etymology

In many cases Kelly is an anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh, which means "descendant of Ceallach", but it can also mean warrior or fighter. The personal name Ceallach has been thought to mean "bright-headed", but the current understanding is that the name means "frequenting churches", derived from the Irish ceall. In other cases the surname Kelly is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Cadhla, which means "descendant of Cadhla". The O'Kelly or Kelly of the Clan Brasil Mac Coolechan originated as a chieftain clan of the Ulaid.
The surname can also be derived from several place names. For example, the surname can be derived from two places in Scotland: Kelly, near Arbroath; and Kellie, in Fife. The surname can also be derived from a place name in England: Kelly, in Devon. This place name is derived from the Cornish celli, meaning "wood" or "grove".

Prevalence

The surname is one of the most common in Ireland. It is also very common in Galloway, and the Isle of Man. Many Irish immigrated to Galloway before and during the Irish famine. When including all of its variations, the name O'Kelly, Kelly, Kelley, Kellie and the Gaelic form Ó Ceallaigh, makes it the most prevalent surname in Ireland. There are approximately half a million people worldwide who bear this name. The name O'Kelly did not spring from a single source, but arose independently in several areas in Ireland, also in Scotland and the Isle of Man and in England. In other areas, notably in Isle of Man, Cornwall and probably in Antrim, the name Kelly arose from Celli, meaning man of the woods.

People with the surname

A–I

  • Alan Kelly, several people
  • Alexandra Filia Kelly, English businesswoman
  • Amanda Kelly, Scottish kickboxer
  • Amethyst Kelly, Australian rapper known as Iggy Azalea
  • Archie Kelly, Scottish footballer
  • Arthur Kelly, several people
  • Arvesta Kelly, American basketball player
  • Autumn Kelly, wife of Peter Phillips, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II
  • Barbara Kelly, Canadian-born English actress
  • Barbara L. Kelly, Scottish-Irish musicologist
  • Benedictus Marwood Kelly, British naval officer
  • Bernadette Kelly, British civil servant
  • Bernard Kelly, several people
  • Bernie Kelly, several people
  • Brian Kelly, several people
  • Brigid Kelly, American politician
  • Brigit Pegeen Kelly, American poet
  • Bryan Kelly, English composer
  • Caden Kelly, Irish association footballer
  • Carson Kelly, American baseball player
  • Cassandra Kelly, company director from Australia
  • Cassandra Kelly , athlete from New Zealand
  • Chad Kelly, American football player
  • Charles Kelly, several people
  • Charlie Kelly, multiple people
  • Chip Kelly, American football coach
  • Chris Kelly, American hip hop artist; half of the duo Kris Kross
  • Claire Kelly, American actress
  • Clare Kelly, English actress
  • Colin Kelly, World War II ace pilot
  • Colin Kelly , American football player
  • Craig Kelly , British actor
  • Craig Kelly , Australian politician
  • Darren Kelly, Northern Irish footballer
  • Dave Kelly
  • David Kelly
  • *David Patrick Kelly, American actor, musician, and lyricist
  • Dean Lennox Kelly, British actor
  • De-Anne Kelly, Australian politician
  • Deja Kelly, American basketball player
  • Derrick Kelly II, American football player
  • Des Kelly, British journalist
  • Diane Kelly, British microbiologist
  • Don Kelly , American professional baseball player
  • Donal Kelly, Irish journalist and broadcaster
  • Eamon Kelly , Irish actor and author
  • Edmond Kelly, WWI Chaplain and Irish Parish Priest in County Tipperary
  • Edmund Kelly
  • Edna F. Kelly, American politician
  • Edward Kelly
  • Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor
  • Elsa Kelly, Argentine lawyer and diplomat
  • Emma Kelly, American musician
  • Emmett Kelly, American circus performer
  • Eric P. Kelly, American author
Erin Kelly, several people
  • Ethel Knight Kelly, Canadian–Australian actress and writer
  • Eugene Kelly, Scottish musician
  • Everett A. Kelly, American politician
  • Fitzroy Kelly, British judge
  • Florence Finch Kelly, American journalist and novelist
  • Fran Kelly, Australian radio journalist
  • Francis Kelly
  • Francis Kelly , American sailor
  • Frank Kelly
  • Frederick Kelly
  • Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Tohono Oʼodham and American educator, community organizer, and politician
  • Gabrielle Kelly, Irish statistician
  • Gene Kelly, American actor
  • George Kelly , American baseball player
  • George "Machine Gun" Kelly, American gangster
  • George Kelly, several peole
  • Gerry Kelly, Ulster Television presenter
  • Gerry Kelly, Sinn Féin politician
  • Grace Kelly, American film actress, Princess of Monaco
  • Graham Kelly, several people
  • Guillermo Patricio Kelly, Argentine politician and activist
  • Guy E. Kelly, American politician
  • Gwen Kelly, Australian novelist and short-story writer
  • Harry Kelly , Governor of Michigan
  • Helen Kelly , New Zealand trade unionist
  • Henry Kelly, several people, including
  • *Henry Kelly, Irish television presenter
  • Hugh Kelly , Irish dramatist and poet
  • Hughie Kelly, Scottish international footballer
  • Hugh Kelly , Northern Irish international footballer
  • Hugh Craine Kelly, farmer and MHA in South Australia

    J–M

  • Jack Kelly , American actor
  • Jackie Kelly, Australian politician
  • James Kelly , American basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
  • James Kelly , Irish army officer
  • James Kelly , U.S. politician
  • James A. Kelly, U.S. politician
  • James Butler Knill Kelly, Scottish-born Canadian Anglican bishop, later Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
  • James K. Kelly, American senator
  • James M. Kelly , American astronaut
  • James M. Kelly , American politician, former president of the Boston City Council.
  • James M. Kelly , American
  • James Patrick Kelly, American science fiction author
  • James Plunkett Kelly, Irish writer, author of Strumpet City
  • Jane Louise Kelly, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • Janis Kelly , Canadian volleyball player
  • Janis Kelly, Scottish operatic soprano
  • Jean-Baptiste Kelly, Canadian vicar-general
  • Jean Louisa Kelly, American actress
  • Jeremiah Kelly, Scottish footballer
  • Jermaine Kelly, American football player
  • Jill Kelly , American pornographic actress
  • Jim "Spider" Kelly, Northern Irish boxer of the 1920s, '30s and '40s
  • Jim Kelly, American football quarterback
  • Jimmy Kelly, NFL player
  • Jo Ann Kelly, English blues singer and guitarist
  • Joanne Kelly, Canadian actress
  • Joe Kelly, several people
  • John Kelly
  • John William Kelly , Vice President Clemson University and President Florida Atlantic University
  • John Kelly , American football player
  • John Robert Kelly, politician in South Australia, farmer in SA then Queensland.
  • Joe Kelly, Formula 1 driver in the 1950 & 1951 British Grand Prix
  • John B. Kelly Sr., Olympic medaling rower; father of Grace Kelly and John B. Kelly Jr.
  • John B. Kelly Jr., aka Jack Kelly, Olympic medaling rower, politician, president of the US Olympic Committee
  • John F. Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps general, Trump administration chief of staff
  • John J. Kelly, Medal of Honor recipient
  • John Larry Kelly Jr., Bell Labs scientist who formulated the Kelly criterion
  • John Melville Kelly, American artist
  • John Norman Davidson Kelly, theologian and principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford University
  • Johnny Kelly, American musician
  • Joseph Michael Kelly, American architect, engineer and merchant mariner
  • Joseph Kelly, multiple people
  • Josephine Gates Kelly, Native American activist and politician
  • Josh Kelly, multiple people
  • Kathryn Kelly, American track and field athlete
  • Kameron Kelly, American football player
  • Kemesha Kelly, Jamaican beauty pageant winner and activist
  • Karen Kelly Irish camogie player
  • Kate Kelly
  • Katherine Kelly, English actress, best known as Becky McDonald in Coronation Street
  • Kathy Kelly, pacifist
  • Keith Kelly , English pop singer, guitarist and songwriter
  • Kelly Kelly, ring name of American professional wrestler Barbara Blank
  • Kelly O'Rourke, local grocer
  • Ken Kelly
  • Kevin Kelly
  • Kevin T. Kelly, American Postmodern Pop Artist
  • Kieran Kelly
  • King Kelly, American baseball player
  • Klesie Kelly, American soprano
  • Kyu Blu Kelly, American football player
  • Laura Kelly, American politician
  • Leonard "Red" Kelly, Canadian hockey player and politician
  • Liam Kelly,, paramilitary leader and elected official
  • Lisa Kelly , Irish singer
  • Lisa Kelly , American television personality
  • Lisa Robin Kelly, American actress
  • Lorraine Kelly, Scottish television presenter
  • Luke Kelly, Irish singer and folk musician
  • Luke Kelly , Australian rugby league player
  • Lynne Kelly , Australian writer
  • Maeve Kelly, Irish writer
  • Manus Kelly, Irish businessman and rally driver
  • Marie-Noële Kelly, Belgian-born hostess and traveller
  • Mark Kelly, several people
  • Martin Kelly, several people
  • *Martin Kelly, English footballer, currently playing for Crystal Palace
  • Mary Kelly , American artist and writer
  • Mary Jane Kelly, British prostitute and victim of Jack the Ripper
  • Matthew Kelly, British television presenter
  • Matthew Kelly, American rock musician
  • Maya Kelly , American high diver
  • Megyn Kelly, American newscaster
  • Melissa J. Kelly, American politician
  • Merrill Kelly, American baseball player
  • Mervin Kelly, American physicist
  • Michael Kelly
  • *Michael Kelly, New Zealand-British physicist
  • *Michael Kelly , Irish actor, singer and composer
  • *Michael Kelly, fourth Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney
  • *Michael Kelly , American Olympic sport shooter
  • *Michael Kelly, American writer and editor
  • *Michael Kelly, former Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow and businessman
  • *Michael Kelly, American actor featured in Dawn of the Dead
  • *Michael Kelly, American baseball player
  • *Michael Eugene Kelly, automotive manufacturing entrepreneur and investment holding businessman
  • Micaela Kelly, American basketball player
  • Mike Kelly, contemporary American journalist
  • Mike Kelly, English football goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach
  • Mike Kelly , baseball outfielder
  • Mike Kelly, contemporary Australian politician
  • Minka Kelly, American actress
  • Moira Kelly, American actress
  • Moiya Kelly, British actress