Kelly (surname)

In many cases Kelly is an anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh (Irish pronunciation: [oː ˈcal̪ˠiː]), which means "descendant of Ceallach", but it can also mean warrior or fighter.

The surname can also be derived from a place name in England: Kelly, in Devon.

This place name is derived from the Cornish celli, meaning "wood" or "grove".

There are approximately half a million people worldwide who bear this name.

The name O'Kelly did not spring from a single source, but arose independently in several areas in Ireland, also in Scotland and the Isle of Man and in England.