History of your Surname
Get access to O%27kelly family records.Start a free trial

O%27kelly Family History

O%27kelly Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallach’ (see Kelly).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: O'kelley, Kelly, O'reilly, O'neill, Donnelly, O'ney, O'keefe, O'berry

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the O%27kelly family from?

You can see how O%27kelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O%27kelly family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most O%27kelly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1901 there were 2 O%27kelly families living in Dumfries-shire. This was 100% of all the recorded O%27kelly's in Scotland. Dumfries-shire had the highest population of O%27kelly families in 1901.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O%27kelly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your O%27kelly ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your O%27kelly ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What O%27kelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name O%27kelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O%27kelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for O%27kelly

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name O%27kelly. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all O%27kelly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name O%27kelly. For the veterans among your O%27kelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O%27kelly military records

You've only scratched the surface of O%27kelly family history

Discover More

What is the average O%27kelly lifespan?

Between 1995 and 2004, in the United States, O%27kelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2000, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for O%27kelly in 1995 was 61, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O%27kelly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the O%27kelly family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the O%27kelly last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial