Connelly Surname Meaning & Coat of Arms

Spellings drift, and Connelly is where Connell drifted for some families. The family name meaning is “Descendant of Conall”, the same as for Connell.

• The same family of names includes O'Connell, Connel and Ó Conaill.
• Connelly is listed among the recognised spellings of Connell.
• The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Connelly with 23,398 bearers, at rank 1,537.
• Connelly sounds close to Connally, Connolly and Conolly, so it can help to search both.
• Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms.

Family crest and blazon

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Connelly, so the heraldry linked to Connell is a starting point, not an automatic right. Want more than a summary? See the Connelly family name pack.