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From www.HouseOfNames.com Archives copyright © 2000 - 2009

Origin Displayed: Irish

Where did the Irish Reilly family come from? What is the Irish coat of arms/family crest? When did the Reilly family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

The Reilly surname originally appeared in Gaelic as O Raghailligh, which means descendant of Raghallach.

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Reilly revealed spelling variations, including O'Reilly, O'Reilley, O'Reily, O'Rielly, O'Riely, O'Riley, O'Rilley, Reel and many more.

First found in county Cavan, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Reilly family came to North America quite early: the families who settled in Newfoundland - in St. John's, Tilton Harbour, Placientia, Tickle Bay, Tilt Cove, and many more, between 1805 and 1871; James O'Reiley settled in New York in 1823.

For more information on the last name Reilly, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.


Suggested Readings for the name Reilly
  • Reilly of Ballintlea by Joseph F. Reilly.

Some noteworthy people of the name Reilly
  • Charles Nelson Reilly (1931-2007), American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher
  • James F. Reilly (b. 1954), American former NASA astronaut
  • Sir Patrick Reilly, British Diplomat
  • Sir Paul Reilly, Industrial Design
  • Robert Reilly, Australian Surgeon
  • James A. Reilly (1835-1909), Canadian businessman and politician from Alberta


Tell Me More About Family Crests


Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist


We have researched the Reilly family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.

Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...

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Family Crests: Timeline


Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...

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Family Crests: Elements


In the Reilly coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...

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Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate


We encourage you to study the Reilly genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...

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Reilly Family Crest Products


Anniversary products for the name Reilly.
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Armorial histories for the name Reilly.
Ceramics with a Reilly family crest.
Clip art of all the most used heraldic pieces.
Coat of Arms for the name Reilly.
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Family Crest for the name Reilly.
Family Tree for the Reilly family crest.
Hand Painted Plaques revealing the Reilly family crest.
Keychains with a Reilly coat of arms.
Mouse pads proudly displaying the Reilly family crest.
New Products featuring the family crest for the surname Reilly.
Packages proudly displaying the Reilly coat of arms.
Plaques and Frames displaying the Reilly family crest.
Surname Histories for the name Reilly.
Symbolism showing the Reilly family crest.
Travel Mugs revealing the Reilly family crest.
Popular Products
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The Reilly Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Reilly Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

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