Etymology and History of the Surname
View Name: KELLY.
KELLY
Derivation:
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'.
History:
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.
Linked Surnames:
O'kelly, Keely, Kell, Kelleher, Kelledy, Keller, Kellen, Kellett, Kelley