Show ContentsLalley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Lalley was "O Maolalaidh," which may be derived from "aladh," which means "speckled."

Early Origins of the Lalley family

The surname Lalley was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Lalley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lalley research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1558, 1572, 1595, 1691, 1702 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Lalley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lalley Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Lalley were encountered in the archives: Lally, Lalley, Mulally, O'Mulally, O'Lally and others.

Early Notables of the Lalley family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was William O'Mullaly, Dean of Tuam (1558-1572) and Archbishop of Tuam (1572-1595); Thomas Arthur Lally, Count Lally, Commander in Chief...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lalley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lalley migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Lalley name:

Lalley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Lalley, aged 21, who arrived in America from Castlebar, Ireland, in 1909
  • Thomas Lalley, aged 31, who arrived in America from Baltinrobe, Ireland, in 1909
  • Bridget Lalley, aged 24, who arrived in America from Belmullet, Ireland, in 1910
  • Ellen Lalley, aged 40, who arrived in America from Belmullet, Ireland, in 1910
  • Sidney Lalley, aged 18, who arrived in America from Bangor Erris, Ireland, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Lalley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lalley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • John William Lalley, aged 26, who arrived in Toronto, Canada, in 1920

Australia Lalley migration to Australia +

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

Lalley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Lalley, British Convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 20 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lalley (post 1700) +

  • Tom Lalley, American sound engineer, known for his work on Saving Private Ryan (1998), Avatar (2009) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
  • Dr. Kristine Lalley, American first Director of International Engineering Initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh
  • Steven Lalley, American Professor, Department of Statistics and the College at the University of Chicago


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona


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