Find out how popular the last name O'Kelly 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'Kelly.

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

Popularity of O'Kelly in America

O'Kelly is the 18366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Kelly surname appeared 1,508 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'Kelly.

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

The surname OKELLY is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh, meaning "descendant of Ceallach." The name is believed to have originated in the 10th century in County Clare, Ireland, where the family held significant landholdings and prominence.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name OKELLY can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 12th century. The annals reference an individual named Domhnall Ó Ceallaigh, who was a prominent leader in the region.

The OKELLY family played a notable role in Irish history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries. They were staunch supporters of the Irish Confederate Wars and were involved in several battles against the English forces. One of the most famous members of the family was Colonel John OKELLY, who fought alongside the Irish Confederate leader Owen Roe O'Neill in the 1640s.

In the 17th century, the OKELLY clan faced significant upheaval and displacement due to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent confiscation of their lands. Many members of the family were forced to flee to continental Europe, where they sought refuge and continued their military service.

One notable figure from this period was Colonel Charles OKELLY, who served in the Irish Brigade of the French army during the 18th century. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745, and achieved the rank of Brigadier General before his death in 1761.

Another prominent individual bearing the OKELLY surname was Patrick OKELLY, an Irish-born writer and dramatist who lived from 1753 to 1835. He authored several successful plays and was a member of the renowned Beefsteak Club, a literary society in London.

Throughout the centuries, the OKELLY name has been subject to various spellings, including O'Kelly, O'Kelley, and Okelly, reflecting the fluidity of Irish surnames and the influence of Anglicization. Despite the challenges faced by the family, the name OKELLY has endured, and its legacy remains deeply rooted in Irish history and culture.

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

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

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'Kelly 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'Kelly 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'Kelly 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'Kelly, please contact us.

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