What Is the Meaning of the Surname Connelly

Connelly is an Irish name and there are many variations, including OConnolly and Connaleigh. This common surname has a tough meaning behind it and, as you  might expect, its one of the most popular in Ireland. Lets explore where the name Connelly came from, remind ourselves of famous people with the name, and jump start your genealogy research. The Origins of the Surname Connelly Connelly is generally considered to be an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic OConghaile. It means fierce as a hound. The name consists of the Gaelic prefix O indicating male descendant of, plus the personal byname Conghaile. Con, comes from a word meaning hound, and gal, means valor. Connelly was originally an Irish clan from Galway on the western coast of Ireland. Connelly families also settled in County Cork in the southwest, County Meath just north of Dublin, and County Monaghan on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Connelly is one of the  50 most common Irish surnames in modern Ireland. Surname Origin:  Irish Alternate Surname Spellings:  Connolly, Conolly, Connally, OConnolly, Connolley, Connelly, Conoley, Connaleigh, Connelay, OConghaile, OConghalaigh Famous People Named Connelly As you might expect, a family name like Connelly includes a number of well-known people. While this list could be considerably longer, we narrowed it down to a few notable names. Billy Connolly - Scottish comedianCyril Connolly - English writerJennifer Connelly - American actressJohn Connolly - Former FBI agent turned criminal in a corruption and murder scandal involving James Whitey Bulger.Kevin Connolly - American actor and directorMichael Connelly - American author Genealogy Resources for the Surname Connelly Irish immigrants helped spread the Connelly name throughout the world. As a result, the resources for tracing your ancestry can begin in Ireland but may stretch into other countries as well. Here are a few interesting websites that can help you out. Clan Connelly  -  The official Clan Connelly website from Edinburgh, Scotland. It has a fascinating history of the tribes associated with the Connelly name and is an interesting resource that should answer many questions. British Surname Profiler  -  Trace the geography and history of the Connelly surname through this free online database. It is based on a University College London (UCL) project investigating the modern and historic distribution of surnames in the United Kingdom. FamilySearch: Connelly Genealogy  -  Find historical records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Connelly surname and its variations on FamilySearch. Connelly  Surname Family Mailing Lists  -  RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Connelly surname. You will find some valuable resources and information in the archived posts. Sources Cottle, B. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Penguin Books, 1967, Baltimore, MD.Hanks, P. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003, New York, NY.Smith, EC. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997, Baltimore, MD.