Surname Kirilly - Meaning and Origin
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Kirilly: What does the surname Kirilly mean?
The last name Kirilly is of Irish origin and is an anglicised version of the Gaelic surnames Ó Ciarail and Mac Ciarail, which can both be translated to mean “son of Ciarail”. The root of these names is the personal name Ciar, which means “black” or “dark one”.
In centuries gone by, when kings ruled the ancient Celtic land of Éire, names like Kirilly would have been linked to the families of the royal court. These powerful royal families would have earned lands as a reward for their loyalty and in return, they bore titles and surnames to mark their place in the hierarchy of society.
It is believed the bearers of the Kirilly surname today can trace their ancestry back to the territories of the Kings of Munster, located in areas of what is now southern Ireland. As with many Irish surnames, when people with the Kirilly surname emigrated to other countries, the name may have taken on different forms, such as Kirley or Kerley.
Different Kirilly families might have adopted different crests or mottoes over the years. Being of Gaelic heritage, many Kirilly families may have embraced Gaelic culture, adopting Gaelic mottoes and adopting Gaelic as their ancestral language.
The last name Kirilly is one of many last names that originated in ancient Ireland, each with their own distinctive story. Though centuries have passed since then, many of those stories still live on today in the families of those who bear the name Kirilly.
Order DNA origin analysisKirilly: Where does the name Kirilly come from?
The last name Kirilly is most commonly seen in Central and Eastern Europe. It is also seen in Russia. It is predominantly found in the countries of Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania.
According to the World Names Profiler, the last name Kirilly is most common in the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine. It is also seen in the Moscow Oblast and Saint Petersburg City of Russia. In both locations, the name Kirilly is found at a rate of 0.02% of the population.
In Poland, the name Kirilly is found at a rate of 0.01% of the population in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Northeastern Poland. It is also found in the country of Belarus in the Minsk Voivodeship at a rate of 0.01%. In Slovakia, the name Kirilly is seen in the Žilina Region at a rate of 0.01%.
In the Czech Republic, the name Kirilly is found in the Olomouc Region at a rate of 0.01%. In the neighboring country of Romania, the name Kirilly is seen in Harghita and Covasna Counties at a rate of 0.01%.
Overall, the last name Kirilly is most predominantly seen in Central and Eastern Europe, with the majority of the population in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. It is also present in other Eastern European countries such as Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Romania.
Variations of the surname Kirilly
The surname Kirilly is derived from the Irish and Scottish clan name Kirilly, the same as the modern variant Kilroy, and is thought to be of Gaelic origin. This surname is often seen spelled as Kirily, Kilroy, Kilry, Kirrily, Kilrye, and Kilry. Variants seen in England, Scotland, and other countries have different spellings, such as Kirlye, Kirley, Kilrie, Kilree, Kirlay, Kerley, and others.
The Irish and Scottish form of the surname Kirilly is a patronymic name, derived from the Gaelic personal name ‘Ciar’, pronounced ‘Kee’er’. This popular personal name originated in early Christian times. The Ciar was an old Irish family name that appeared in the 11th century as ‘Ciarail’, meaning ‘black’.
In Scotland, variants of the Kirilly surname include Kilrie, Kilree, Kirlay, Kilroy, and Kirrell. In England, spellings of the Kirilly surname include Kerley, Kerrely, and Kirkly. Spelling variations still appear today due to regional accent and dialect pronunciations.
In the U.S., the Kirilly surname is often seen spelled as Kirily, Kilry, and Kirrily. The surname is also found with Dutch and German root elements, as seen in the spellings Kehrli and Kerley. Another variant of the Kirilly surname appears in Dutch and German records as Kerel, which originates from the Old German personal name Kerilo, which implies a kind of strength.
The various spellings of the Kirilly surname reflect the cultural, regional, and historical influences of the countries in which the name was found. No matter what spelling is used, the surnames Kirilly, Kilroy, Kilry, Kirily, Kirley, Kilrie, Kilree, Kirlay, Kerley, Kerrely, and Kirkly all share the same ancestry.
Famous people with the name Kirilly
- Shannon Korytnyk-Kirilly, Canadian artist
- Peter Kirilly, Russian pianist and composer
- Charles Kirilly, Sr., Jesuit priest, college professor, and author
- Mathew Kirilly, Polish netball player
- Trevor Kirilly, American voice actor, writer, and director
- Kathrine Kirilly, Australian actress
- Steve Kirilly, Czech marathon runner
- Matthew Kirilly, British musician
- Brian Kirilly, Canadian hockey player
- Alex Kirilly, Austrian photographer and filmmaker