Kelley Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Kelley is usually a form of Kelly. Read literally, Kelley points to “Descendant of Ceallach”. The extra “e” in Kelley is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.

Other spellings include O'Kelly and Ó Ceallaigh.

There is no single Kelley family crest for every bearer. Herald Lab researches the arms historically associated with the name and explains whose they were. For the full story, order the Kelley surname pack.