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

O'Kelley, 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 O'Kelley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Kelley in America

O'Kelley is the 12320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Kelley surname appeared 2,524 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 O'Kelley.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Kelley 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 O'Kelley

The surname O'Kelley is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Ceallaigh, which originated in County Westmeath, Ireland. The prefix "Ó" signifies a male descendant, while "Ceallaigh" is derived from the word "ceallach," meaning "bright-headed" or "bright-haired."

The O'Kelleys were a prominent family in the ancient territory of Bréifne, which encompassed parts of modern-day counties Leitrim, Cavan, and Fermanagh. They were descendants of Cellach, a 10th-century king of Bréifne. The name is first recorded in the Annals of Ulster in the year 1136, mentioning the death of Gilla-Críst Ua Ceallaigh, a member of the O'Kelley clan.

In the 16th century, the O'Kelleys were among the powerful septs (clans) that resisted the Tudor conquest of Ireland. During this period, many Irish names were anglicized to conform to English spelling conventions, leading to the emergence of various spellings such as O'Kelly, O'Kelley, and Kelley.

One notable figure in the O'Kelley dynasty was Tadhg Ó Ceallaigh (1669-1737), a renowned Irish poet and historian who wrote extensively on the history and genealogy of his clan. His work, known as the "Book of O'Kelly," is an invaluable source of information on the O'Kelleys and their ancestral territory.

Another prominent member of the family was John O'Kelly (1805-1858), an Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement, who advocated for Irish independence from British rule. He was a skilled orator and writer, and his speeches and writings played a significant role in shaping the nationalist movement of the 19th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the O'Kelley surname dates back to the 18th century, when Patrick O'Kelley (1738-1818) immigrated from Ireland and settled in Virginia. He served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent farmer and landowner.

Another notable American with the O'Kelley surname was Edgar O'Kelley (1857-1944), a lawyer and politician from Missouri. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1921 and was known for his advocacy of progressive policies and labor rights.

The surname O'Kelley has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Kellyville, County Laois, and Kellybrook, County Westmeath, which reflect the historical presence of the O'Kelley clan in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Kelley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Kelley.

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 O'Kelley 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 O'Kelley 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 O'Kelley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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