Surname Keally - Meaning and Origin
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Keally: What does the surname Keally mean?
The last name Keally is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caollaidhe, which means "descendant of Caollaidhe". Caollaidhe was a personal name of uncertain origin, but it is thought to have derived from the Old Gaelic word "caol", which means "narrow". The variant Ó Caollaidhe is found mainly in counties Cork and Kerry in the south-west of Ireland, although it is also present in Donegal in the north-west.
The name Ó Caollaidhe is usually found in the anglicized form of Keally, but there are a number of other spellings including Kealy, Kiely and Kealley.
The surname Keally is now found mainly among Irish and Irish-American families, but it can also be found in other parts of the English-speaking world including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Keallys of Ireland are renowned for their strong faith and fierce loyalty to their families, friends and neighbors. They are known for having a keen sense of humor and an open-minded attitude, and they always strive to look for the best in every situation. The Keally family motto is "Mór-Fhortún" which means "Grow in Fortune".
Order DNA origin analysisKeally: Where does the name Keally come from?
The last name Keally is most common today in Ireland, having first appeared there in the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of an old Irish Gaelic (Gaedhal) name, derived from the Gaelic word “ceallach,” which means “strife or contention.” The original Gaelic form of the name is O Cealleachain, or O Ceallaigh.
Keally is the most common name in Ireland among those with the name in all of Europe. Although it may also be found in England, Scotland, and Wales, the name is much less common in those countries.
The 1930 U.S. Federal Census listed only seven people with the last name Keally living in the United States. Today, Keally is still a relatively rare name in America, although it may have increased somewhat in numbers over the decades since then. In the 2010 U.S. Census, there were about 1,312 people with the last name Keally living in the United States. Most of those with the last name Keally in America today are likely descended from immigrants who arrived from Ireland in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Outside of Ireland and America, the last name Keally can be found in small numbers in countries with large Irish diasporas, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, as well as other countries in Europe and elsewhere.
Variations of the surname Keally
The surname Keally is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Caollaidhe. It originated in County Kerry, in the south of Ireland. The original form of the name was spelled Ó Céilleachair.
The Keally variant is the most common spelling, and it can have several alternative forms and spellings, like Kelley, Keeley, Celey, Ceely, Kealy, Kaly, Kiely and Kiley. There are a few other less common spellings, including Kealey, Keylly, Keallyy, Keely, Keeley and Keelye.
Other variants and spellings of the surname include Kealle, Kealey, Kelle, Kelle, Kelle, Kelleigh, Kelligh, Keill, Keoll, Kelleigh, Killig, Kily, Kylly and Kyllee. In some cases, Hyphenated versions of the name exist, such as Kelley-Keally and Kiely-Keely.
The name Keally may also have taken other forms when anglicized, such as Cale, Kaylor, Keelor, Keilor and Quail. It is also thought that the surname may have been inserted into another Irish surname; for instance, Ó Coileachain, which became Keally.
The surname is now found in many countries all around the world, including the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Ireland and Scotland.
Famous people with the name Keally
- John Keally: an American songwriter and producer who won two Emmy Awards for his work on the television show That's Incredible!
- Justin Keally: an Irish actor who is best known for his role as Stanley Ellis on the American TV Series, McLeod’s Daughters.
- Dennis Keally: an American actor who is best known for his work in films such as The Insider, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Million Dollar Baby.
- Charlie Keally: an Irish comedian who has made several appearances on Dublin-based radio stations such as RTÉ 2fm and Today FM.
- Mick Keally: a former player of the Gaelic Athletic Association, who won All-Ireland Senior Football Championships with both Dublin and Clare.
- Mike Keally: a former American football coach who was the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1989-1991.
- Patrick Keally: an Irish composer and publisher best known for the many traditional Irish music and classical music compositions he has produced.
- Tom Keally: a former professional racing cyclist who competed in the 1961 Tour de France.
- Jeff Keally: an independent rock singer-songwriter from the United States.
- Rob Keally: a former professional rugby player from New Zealand who played for the All Blacks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.