UK surname
Irish variant of the surname Reilly, a nickname derived from an Irish Gaelic word meaning swarthy or dark complexioned.
In the 1881 census there were 273 people recorded with the Reily surname, ranking it #10,390 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #10,390 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reily is 346 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 66.7%.
1881 census count
273
Ranked #10,390
Modern count
91
2016, ranked #32,109
Peak year
1851
346 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Reily surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Reily surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 346 | #6,798 |
| 1861 | historical | 332 | #7,673 |
| 1881 | historical | 273 | #10,390 |
| 1891 | historical | 172 | #16,663 |
| 1901 | historical | 117 | #20,830 |
| 1911 | historical | 76 | #25,221 |
| 1997 | modern | 86 | #28,876 |
| 1998 | modern | 87 | #29,240 |
| 1999 | modern | 91 | #28,937 |
| 2000 | modern | 81 | #30,036 |
| 2001 | modern | 76 | #30,366 |
| 2002 | modern | 84 | #29,982 |
| 2003 | modern | 84 | #29,978 |
| 2004 | modern | 76 | #31,125 |
| 2005 | modern | 75 | #31,400 |
| 2006 | modern | 83 | #30,808 |
| 2007 | modern | 87 | #30,666 |
| 2008 | modern | 88 | #30,857 |
| 2009 | modern | 87 | #31,489 |
| 2010 | modern | 84 | #32,289 |
| 2011 | modern | 85 | #32,127 |
| 2012 | modern | 88 | #32,064 |
| 2013 | modern | 90 | #32,146 |
| 2014 | modern | 96 | #31,667 |
| 2015 | modern | 93 | #31,972 |
| 2016 | modern | 91 | #32,109 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 2 | Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry | Forfar |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Merthyr Tydfil | Glamorganshire |
| 5 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Reily surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Reily, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Reily surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Reily household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Reily is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reily is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Reily, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname REILY originated in Ireland and is a variant of the Gaelic name O'Reilly. It is derived from the Irish words "O" meaning "grandson" and "raghallaigh" meaning "valorous" or "illustrious."
The REILY name can be traced back to the 10th century in County Cavan, Ireland, where the O'Reilly clan were powerful chieftains and landowners. The name is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval Irish chronicle that recorded events from the 5th to the 16th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the REILY surname is found in the 14th century, when John O'Reilly, a prominent chieftain, was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the early 17th century.
The REILY name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 16th century, Sir John Reilly was an Irish soldier who fought for the British crown during the Nine Years' War in Ireland. His exploits were recorded in contemporary accounts of the conflict.
Another prominent figure with the REILY surname was Andrew Reily (1768-1836), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, James Whiteside Reily (1835-1899) was an Irish-born American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania. He was also a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
The REILY surname has also been linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Reilyhid and Reilyduff, which are derived from the Gaelic "O'Reilly" and reflect the clan's historical territory and landholdings.
Other notable individuals with the REILY surname include William Reily (1773-1848), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 10th Governor of Connecticut, and John Reily (1786-1854), an American lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reily surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 47 Reilys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.48x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 47 | 1.48x |
| Middlesex | 46 | 1.71x |
| Lanarkshire | 32 | 3.69x |
| Angus | 27 | 10.86x |
| Midlothian | 13 | 3.62x |
| Durham | 12 | 1.50x |
| Surrey | 11 | 0.84x |
| Warwickshire | 10 | 1.48x |
| Berwickshire | 7 | 21.55x |
| Staffordshire | 7 | 0.77x |
| Berkshire | 6 | 2.98x |
| Kent | 6 | 0.66x |
| Perthshire | 6 | 4.98x |
| Stirlingshire | 6 | 6.06x |
| Cumberland | 5 | 2.17x |
| Dorset | 4 | 2.27x |
| Monmouthshire | 4 | 2.06x |
| Sussex | 4 | 0.88x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 0.51x |
| Dumfriesshire | 2 | 3.38x |
| Glamorgan | 2 | 0.43x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 0.38x |
| Hampshire | 2 | 0.36x |
| Renfrewshire | 2 | 0.96x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.08x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.24x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.19x |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 0.91x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0.40x |
| Roxburghshire | 1 | 2.06x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 3.13x |
| Westmorland | 1 | 1.70x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liff Benvie in Angus leads with 18 Reilys recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.72x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Reily surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Reily surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 10 |
| James | 9 |
| George | 6 |
| John | 6 |
| Patrick | 6 |
| Thomas | 6 |
| Charles | 5 |
| Henry | 4 |
| Michael | 4 |
| Harry | 3 |
| Richard | 3 |
| Andrew | 2 |
| Austin | 2 |
| David | 2 |
| Francis | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Joseph | 2 |
| Miles | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 |
| Barnard | 1 |
| Bernard | 1 |
| Bridge | 1 |
| Cornelius | 1 |
| Daniel | 1 |
| Edmund | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Jasla | 1 |
| Lewis | 1 |
| Montague | 1 |
| Owen | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Philip | 1 |
| Sampson | 1 |
| Terence | 1 |
| Terrance | 1 |
| Thos. | 1 |
| Wm. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Reily households.
FAQ
In 1881, 273 people were recorded with the Reily surname. That placed it at #10,390 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Reily a modern rank of #32,109.
Irish variant of the surname Reilly, a nickname derived from an Irish Gaelic word meaning swarthy or dark complexioned.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Reily bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.