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Crilly History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Crilly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Crilly originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Raghallaigh. However, the connection of this name, which is also Anglicized as Crawley or MacCrawley, to the name Crilly is in actuality a matter of debate among scholars.

Early Origins of the Crilly family

The surname Crilly was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Crilly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crilly research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crilly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crilly Spelling Variations

The spelling of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was rarely consistent. This inconsistency was due to the scribes and church officials' attempts to record orally defined names in writing. The common practice of recording names as they sounded resulted in spelling variations such as Crilly, O'Crilly, Creely, Crely, Crillie, Creelie, Crelie, Crilley, Creeley, Creley and many more.

Early Notables of the Crilly family

More information is included under the topic Early Crilly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crilly migration to the United States +

The English-ruled Ireland of the late 18th and 19th centuries featured a rapidly increasing population and an agricultural-based economy. This combination proved to be disastrous in the 1840s after a couple of failed potato harvests. Thousands died of disease and starvation, and thousands more left the country, often bound for North America. Those that survived the journey to North America were put to work building the bridges, canals, roadways, and railways needed for the development of an industrial society. Those Irish, although often despised by those already established in North American cities and towns, played an instrumental role in making Canada and the United States the powerful and wealthy nations that they are today. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has shown many immigrants bearing the name Crilly:

Crilly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Crilly, who landed in America in 1812 1

Crilly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crilly Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bernard Crilly, age 30, Bridget Crilly, age 25, Michael Crilly, age 19, John Crilly, age 3, Ann, age six months, who all settled in Quebec in 1834
Ann Crilly, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
Bernard Crilly, aged 30, who landed in Quebec in 1834
Bridget Crilly, aged 25, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
John Crilly, aged 3, who landed in Quebec in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Crilly migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Crilly Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward Crilly, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Fitzjames"

Crilly migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Crilly Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Crilly, aged 28, a tailor, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
Mary Crilly, aged 26, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
William Crilly, aged 6, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
Mary Crilly, aged 3, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Crilly (post 1700) +

Martin Crilly (b. 1969), Irish writer who published The Cream of Irish Industry, Commerce and Government, a directory of the Top 5000 companies in Ireland in 2002
Daniel Crilly (1857-1923), Irish politician, Member of Parliament for North Mayo (1885-1900)
Mark Crilly (b. 1980), Scottish professional footballer and current manager
Frederick Leo Crilly, English entrepreneur who founded Crilly Airways Ltd, an passenger airline service in England in the mid-1930s
Tommy Crilly (b. 1895), English footballer
Rob Crilly (b. 1973), British/Irish freelance journalist and author
Anna Crilly (b. 1975), English actress and comedian

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)