NameCensus.

UK surname

Kelley

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh," meaning "descendant of Ceallach" (brave or bright-headed).

In the 1881 census there were 3,450 people recorded with the Kelley surname, ranking it #1,323 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,890, ranked #3,367, down from #1,323 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Cornwall and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kelley is 3,450 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.2%.

1881 census count

3,450

Ranked #1,323

Modern count

1,890

2016, ranked #3,367

Peak year

1881

3,450 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kelley had 3,450 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,323 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,890 in 2016, ranked #3,367.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,450 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kelley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kelley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kelley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kelley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,390 #1,246
1861 historical 2,647 #1,108
1881 historical 3,450 #1,323
1891 historical 2,982 #1,578
1901 historical 2,737 #2,027
1911 historical 2,514 #2,041
1997 modern 1,909 #3,160
1998 modern 1,949 #3,220
1999 modern 1,954 #3,234
2000 modern 1,927 #3,267
2001 modern 1,868 #3,290
2002 modern 1,887 #3,325
2003 modern 1,836 #3,342
2004 modern 1,809 #3,379
2005 modern 1,777 #3,404
2006 modern 1,773 #3,416
2007 modern 1,807 #3,391
2008 modern 1,838 #3,372
2009 modern 1,903 #3,335
2010 modern 1,951 #3,341
2011 modern 1,902 #3,377
2012 modern 1,889 #3,341
2013 modern 1,906 #3,369
2014 modern 1,939 #3,342
2015 modern 1,929 #3,325
2016 modern 1,890 #3,367

Geography

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Where Kelleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Cornwall, Sefton and Doncaster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 017 Sunderland
2 Cornwall 028 Cornwall
3 Sefton 036 Sefton
4 Sefton 024 Sefton
5 Doncaster 028 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kelley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kelley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kelley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kelley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Kelley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Kelley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kelley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kelley is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kelley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kelley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kelley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kelley

The surname Kelley is an ancient Irish name that originated in County Derry, Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "O'Ceallaigh," which means "descendant of Ceallach." Ceallach was a popular personal name in Ireland during the Middle Ages, and it means "bright-headed" or "bright hair."

The name Kelley first appeared in Irish records in the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a man named Domhnall O'Ceallaigh who lived in the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Kelley family was one of the most powerful clans in County Derry, and they held significant lands and influence in the area. The name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Killylea and Killyleagh, which are derived from the Gaelic word "Coill," meaning "wood," and the name Ceallach.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, many Irish families adopted anglicized versions of their surnames to adapt to the new English rule. The Gaelic name "O'Ceallaigh" was anglicized to "Kelley," "Kelly," and "Killey," among other spellings.

One of the most famous people with the surname Kelley was John Kelley (1753-1809), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for his role in the Battle of Monmouth, where he served as a personal guard to General George Washington.

Another notable figure with the Kelley surname was Edward Kelley (1555-1597), an English renaissance occultist and self-proclaimed spirit medium. He worked closely with the famous mathematician and occultist John Dee and was involved in various occult practices and alchemical experiments.

In the literary world, Mary Ann Kelley (1819-1893) was an Irish-American author and editor who wrote several novels and short stories. She is best known for her work "Massah and His Scholars," which was published in 1855.

John Kelley (1786-1857) was an American politician and jurist who served as the 21st Governor of Connecticut from 1842 to 1844. He was also a prominent lawyer and judge in the state.

Finally, James Kelley (1900-1972) was an American actor and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and Hollywood films during the mid-20th century. He is best known for his roles in the musicals "Pal Joey" and "On the Town."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kelley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kelley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 692 Kelleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 692 1.72x
Yorkshire 605 1.80x
Middlesex 348 1.03x
Durham 281 2.78x
Surrey 195 1.18x
Cheshire 181 2.42x
Staffordshire 149 1.30x
Warwickshire 112 1.31x
Lanarkshire 81 0.74x
Lincolnshire 81 1.49x
Kent 59 0.51x
Northumberland 52 1.03x
Hampshire 50 0.72x
Devon 46 0.65x
Essex 42 0.63x
Isle of Man 40 6.35x
Dorset 37 1.66x
Derbyshire 36 0.68x
Cumberland 34 1.16x
Cornwall 32 0.83x
Gloucestershire 29 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 25 0.55x
Worcestershire 25 0.56x
Glamorgan 18 0.30x
Sussex 18 0.31x
Shropshire 17 0.58x
Midlothian 16 0.35x
Leicestershire 14 0.37x
East Lothian 13 2.89x
Somerset 13 0.24x
Denbighshire 12 0.94x
Wiltshire 11 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 10 1.48x
Monmouthshire 9 0.37x
Northamptonshire 9 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.37x
Angus 7 0.22x
Stirlingshire 7 0.56x
Ayrshire 6 0.24x
Oxfordshire 6 0.29x
Renfrewshire 6 0.23x
Berkshire 5 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.24x
Hertfordshire 5 0.21x
Suffolk 5 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.29x
Norfolk 3 0.06x
Ross-shire 3 0.32x
Channel Islands 2 0.20x
Flintshire 2 0.22x
Merionethshire 2 0.32x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 0.49x
Rutland 2 0.80x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.49x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.07x
Westmorland 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 85 Kelleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.48x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 85 3.48x
Leeds 74 3.90x
Manchester 72 3.98x
Wigan 63 11.19x
Bradford 50 6.14x
Birmingham 43 1.51x
Sheffield 42 3.92x
Islington London 41 1.25x
Camberwell 38 1.75x
Glasgow 37 1.90x
Birkenhead 35 5.86x
Paddington London 32 2.56x
Bethnal Green London 30 2.03x
Darlington 28 7.18x
Widnes 27 9.30x
Barony 26 0.94x
Battersea 26 2.08x
Chelsea London 26 2.54x
Stone 25 17.06x
Chester St John Baptist 24 17.82x
Dalton In Furness 24 15.44x
Lonan 24 62.88x
Great Bolton 23 4.31x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 23 5.26x
St Marylebone London 23 1.27x
Aston 22 0.93x
Ashton Under Lyne 21 2.39x
Batley 21 6.57x
Lambeth 21 0.71x
West Derby 21 1.78x
Wolverhampton 21 2.38x
Heckmondwike 20 18.49x
Southwark St John 20 19.27x
Thornley 20 54.73x
Toxteth Park 20 1.47x
Barrow In Furness 19 3.47x
Blackburn 19 1.77x
Wednesbury 19 6.64x
Brampton Bierlow 18 41.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 2.81x
Hunslet 18 3.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 2.64x
Arlecdon 17 21.88x
Cornforth 17 57.18x
Foleshill 17 18.88x
Holy Trinity 17 2.10x
Westminster St James 16 4.59x
Chester St Oswald 15 11.06x
Everton 15 1.17x
Little Bolton 15 2.90x
Brighton 14 1.21x
Burnley 14 4.13x
Chester Holy Trinity 14 39.86x
Kensington London 14 0.74x
Mile End Old Town London 14 1.94x
Morley 14 8.01x
Salford 14 1.18x
Sunderland 14 7.85x
Conisbrough 13 41.20x
Portsea 13 0.95x
St Luke London 13 2.39x
Stockton On Tees 13 2.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 1.07x
Thornaby 13 10.35x
Tottenham 13 2.41x
Bishopwearmouth 12 1.38x
Eccleston In Prescot 12 5.94x
Iddesleigh 12 249.48x
Keighley 12 3.35x
Longbenton 12 5.61x
Tranent 12 19.76x
Walsall Foreign 12 2.03x
Bayards Leap 11 193.66x
Bowling 11 3.30x
Coleshill 11 40.09x
Donhead St Mary 11 72.13x
Ince In Makerfield 11 5.87x
Kings Norton 11 2.77x
Leckhampton 11 26.82x
Shipley 11 6.30x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kelley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 316
Elizabeth 95
Ellen 84
Margaret 82
Sarah 76
Ann 75
Catherine 64
Jane 57
Bridget 49
Annie 47
Eliza 41
Alice 38
Kate 31
Emma 28
Emily 21
Hannah 19
Anne 16
Julia 16
Maria 14
Martha 13
Louisa 12
Rose 12
Ada 11
Florence 11
Frances 11
Isabella 11
Agnes 10
Charlotte 10
Clara 10
Caroline 9
Esther 9
Lucy 9
Margret 9
Cathrine 8
Fanny 8
Susan 7
Gertrude 6
Grace 6
Harriet 6
Edith 5
Elizth. 5
Matilda 5
Rachel 5
Sophia 5
Amy 4
Bridgett 4
Cecilia 4
Francis 4
Henrietta 4
Margt. 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kelley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 308
James 170
Thomas 168
William 166
Patrick 70
Michael 59
Joseph 58
George 57
Edward 48
Robert 42
Peter 40
Henry 34
Charles 33
Richard 21
Arthur 19
Frederick 17
Martin 17
Alfred 16
Daniel 14
Frank 13
Walter 11
David 10
Francis 10
Stephen 10
Samuel 9
Albert 8
Edwin 8
Harry 8
Matthew 8
Timothy 8
Wm. 8
Hugh 7
Thos. 7
Dennis 6
Jno. 6
Tom 6
Alexander 5
Anthony 5
Bernard 5
Luke 5
Michal 5
Andrew 4
Christopher 4
Fred 4
J. 4
Jeremiah 4
Mathew 4
Micheal 4
Jas. 3
Michel 3

FAQ

Kelley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kelley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,450 people were recorded with the Kelley surname. That placed it at #1,323 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kelley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,890 in 2016. That gives Kelley a modern rank of #3,367.

What does the Kelley surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh," meaning "descendant of Ceallach" (brave or bright-headed).

What does the Kelley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kelley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.