Kiley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kiley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kiley last name
Meaning of the Kiley last name: a descendant of Cadhla, graceful. The surname Kiley is an anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cadhla, from a word meaning graceful or beautiful. Spellings such as Kiely, Keeley and Kealy also derive from it. The last name is associated with Waterford, Galway and Kerry, so the county matters for each family.
Arms associated with the Kiley name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full Kiley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kiley story. The full Kiley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kiley coat of arms. Get the full Kiley report.
Kiley name FAQ
What does the Kiley name mean?
A descendant of Cadhla, graceful.
Where does the Kiley surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States and Australia.
Is there a Kiley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kiley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.