Find out how popular the last name Kiely is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kiely.

Kiely, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kiely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kiely in America

Kiely is the 11076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kiely surname appeared 2,868 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kiely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kiely to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kiely

The surname Kiely originated in County Cork, Ireland, and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Cadhla, which means "descendant of Cadhla." The name Cadhla is believed to have originated from the Old Irish word "cádh," meaning "chaste" or "pure."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Kiely appears in the Annals of Innisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history written in the 12th century. The annals mention a chieftain named Cadhla Ó Cadhla in 1024, who was a member of the Uí Chonaill sept (clan) from West Muskerry, County Cork.

In the 13th century, the surname Kiely is found in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, which were records of taxes paid to the Church in County Cork. The name is also mentioned in the Fiants of the Tudor period, which were official documents issued by the English Crown.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Kiely was Maurice Kiely, a Catholic priest who lived in the 16th century. He was born in County Cork and served as the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe from 1581 to 1613.

In the 17th century, the surname Kiely is recorded in the Census of Ireland, also known as the "Strafford Survey," conducted in 1659. The survey lists several Kiely families living in the baronies of West Muskerry and Duhallow, County Cork.

Another prominent figure with the surname Kiely was John Kiely (1821-1893), an Irish Catholic priest and educator from County Cork. He founded the Christian Brothers College in Melbourne, Australia, and played a significant role in the development of Catholic education in the country.

In the 19th century, John Kiely (1840-1905), a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, was involved in the Fenian Uprising of 1867. He was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the rebellion against British rule in Ireland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kiely include Maurice Kiely (1885-1967), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and Patrick Kiely (1909-1964), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who served as the President of St. Patrick's College in Thurles, County Tipperary.

Overall, the surname Kiely has a rich history rooted in County Cork, Ireland, and has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including religion, education, politics, and the struggle for Irish independence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kiely

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kiely.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kiely was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kiely has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kiely was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kiely, please contact us.

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