NameCensus.

UK surname

Oreilly

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Raghallaigh," meaning "descendant of Raghallach" (a personal name meaning "valiant").

In the 1881 census there were 425 people recorded with the Oreilly surname, ranking it #7,634 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,291, ranked #790, up from #7,634 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Bridgend and Wellingborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oreilly is 8,433 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1850.8%.

1881 census count

425

Ranked #7,634

Modern count

8,291

2016, ranked #790

Peak year

2014

8,433 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oreilly had 425 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,634 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,291 in 2016, ranked #790.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 865 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Oreilly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oreilly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oreilly 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 425 #7,634
1891 historical 587 #6,508
1901 historical 826 #5,476
1911 historical 865 #5,136
1997 modern 7,481 #860
1998 modern 7,755 #866
1999 modern 7,841 #864
2000 modern 7,800 #866
2001 modern 7,585 #868
2002 modern 7,829 #859
2003 modern 7,662 #855
2004 modern 7,643 #858
2005 modern 7,593 #849
2006 modern 7,598 #848
2007 modern 7,772 #832
2008 modern 7,883 #824
2009 modern 8,086 #824
2010 modern 8,422 #802
2011 modern 8,378 #799
2012 modern 8,195 #801
2013 modern 8,366 #795
2014 modern 8,433 #792
2015 modern 8,301 #793
2016 modern 8,291 #790

Geography

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Where Oreillys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Bridgend, Wellingborough, Birmingham and Nitshill. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 038 Liverpool
2 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
3 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough
4 Birmingham 126 Birmingham
5 Nitshill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oreilly

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oreilly

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oreilly, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Oreilly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Oreilly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oreilly 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

Oreilly is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oreilly 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 Oreilly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Oreilly

The surname O'Reilly is of Irish origin and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Raghallaigh, which means "descendant of Raghallach". The name Raghallach is a combination of the words "ragh", meaning "fortune", and "allach", meaning "prosperous" or "wealthy".

The O'Reillys were one of the most prominent and influential families in the ancient kingdom of East Bréifne, which covered parts of modern-day counties Cavan and Leitrim. They were lords of East Bréifne from the 11th century until the 17th century, and their stronghold was at Cavan town.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals document the exploits of various O'Reilly chieftains and their role in the political and military affairs of the region.

The name O'Reilly first appears in English records in the 13th century, with various spellings such as O'Reily, O'Reiley, and O'Rely. The Domesday Book, a historical record commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not include any references to the name, as it was a survey of landholders in England and parts of Wales.

Notable figures with the surname O'Reilly throughout history include:

1. Sir John O'Reilly (c. 1497 - 1562), an Irish chieftain and Lord of East Bréifne who played a significant role in the political and military struggles of 16th century Ireland.

2. Andrew O'Reilly (1742 - 1832), an Irish-born Spanish general who served in the Spanish Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Peninsular War against Napoleonic France.

3. Jeremiah O'Reilly (1831 - 1896), an Irish-American Catholic priest and president of the University of Notre Dame from 1864 to 1866.

4. John Boyle O'Reilly (1844 - 1890), an Irish-born American poet, novelist, and journalist who was a leading voice for Irish independence in the United States.

5. Mary O'Reilly (1888 - 1963), an Irish revolutionary and member of the Irish Republican Army who played a significant role in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oreilly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oreilly 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 62 Oreillys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.51x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 62 2.51x
Middlesex 25 1.20x
Lanarkshire 20 2.98x
Midlothian 15 5.39x
Cheshire 13 2.83x
Surrey 11 1.09x
Somerset 10 2.99x
Renfrewshire 6 3.73x
Yorkshire 6 0.29x
Northumberland 5 1.62x
Wiltshire 5 2.72x
Devon 4 0.92x
Hampshire 4 0.94x
Warwickshire 4 0.76x
Hertfordshire 3 2.09x
Kent 3 0.42x
Durham 2 0.32x
Essex 2 0.49x
Leicestershire 2 0.87x
West Lothian 2 6.39x
Ayrshire 1 0.64x
Fife 1 0.81x
Glamorgan 1 0.28x
Kincardineshire 1 3.95x
Monmouthshire 1 0.67x
Northamptonshire 1 0.51x
Oxfordshire 1 0.78x
Perthshire 1 1.07x
Westmorland 1 2.19x

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 37 Oreillys recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.71x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 37 24.71x
Bedminster 10 31.82x
Birkenhead 10 27.35x
Edinburgh Old 10 591.72x
Govan 9 5.42x
Shadwell London 7 120.48x
Camberwell 6 4.52x
Toxteth Park 6 7.19x
Byker 5 32.72x
Devizes St John 5 362.32x
St Marylebone London 5 4.51x
West Derby 5 6.93x
Westminster St John 5 19.76x
Abbey 4 16.28x
Barony 4 2.35x
Birmingham 4 2.29x
Bishop Stortford 3 62.76x
Edinburgh Tron Church 3 230.77x
Everton 3 3.82x
Glasgow 3 2.51x
Leeds 3 2.58x
St Pancras London 3 1.79x
Tranmere 3 17.79x
Aighton Bailey 2 168.07x
Bermondsey 2 3.23x
Chelsea London 2 3.19x
Cheriton 2 69.20x
Halstead 2 41.84x
Holy Trinity 2 4.04x
Hound 2 69.20x
Lambeth 2 1.10x
Leicester St Margaret 2 3.56x
Manchester 2 1.80x
Old Monkland 2 7.50x
West Greenock 2 6.92x
Appleby St Lawrence 1 96.15x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 14.25x
Auchtertool 1 196.08x
Barnsley 1 4.71x
Beith 1 21.55x
Burford 1 90.09x
Cambusnethan 1 6.70x
Carriden 1 70.42x
Chudleigh 1 72.99x
Croydon 1 1.78x
Devonport 1 20.12x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.89x
Esh 1 22.22x
Farnborough 1 22.37x
Gorton 1 4.31x
Islington London 1 0.50x
Kensington London 1 0.87x
Kirkdale 1 2.41x
Kirkmichael 1 163.93x
Lifton 1 96.15x
Maryculter 1 131.58x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 2.88x
Milton In Gravesend 1 9.41x
Moulton 1 91.74x
North Leith 1 7.76x
Orell Ford 1 222.22x
Portsea 1 1.20x
Preston 1 1.52x
Shettleston 1 16.61x
St Martin In Fields 1 8.04x
St Woollos 1 5.97x
Sutton 1 12.09x
Thornley 1 44.64x
Tormoham 1 5.46x
Uphall 1 29.07x
Whittingham 1 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 7
Catherine 5
Ellen 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Bridget 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Barbara 1
Bessie 1
Bidla 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Hanorah 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kathleen 1
Maryanne 1
Maude 1
Melanie 1
Nora 1
Norah 1
Rosa 1
Rosey 1
Rutheen 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 9
James 7
Thomas 7
Charles 3
Edward 3
Michael 3
Alfred 2
Bernard 2
Francis 2
Hugh 2
Stephen 2
Archibald 1
David 1
Eugene 1
Frances 1
Garreth 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Wm. 1
George 1
Gerald 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Montague 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Patric 1
Robt. 1
Terence 1
Timothy 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Oreilly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oreilly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 425 people were recorded with the Oreilly surname. That placed it at #7,634 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oreilly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,291 in 2016. That gives Oreilly a modern rank of #790.

What does the Oreilly surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Raghallaigh," meaning "descendant of Raghallach" (a personal name meaning "valiant").

What does the Oreilly map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oreilly 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.