Show ContentsCrilley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Crilley 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 Crilley family

The surname Crilley 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 Crilley family

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

Crilley Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name Crilley revealed spelling variations, including Crilly, O'Crilly, Creely, Crely, Crillie, Creelie, Crelie, Crilley, Creeley, Creley and many more.

Early Notables of the Crilley family

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


United States Crilley migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of Crilley:

Crilley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Crilley, aged 11, who arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "Circassia" from Londonderry, Ireland 1
  • William Crilley, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "Circassia" from Londonderry, Ireland 1
  • Mrs. Crilley, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Grecian" from Glasgow via Moville 1
  • Agnes Crilley, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "Majestic (1890)" from Liverpool, England 1
Crilley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Thomas Crilley, aged 4 years 6 months, who arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Oceanic" from Liverpool, England 1
  • Alice Crilley, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Ulua" from Glasgow, Scotland 1
  • Joseph Crilley, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Algeria" from Glasgow, Scotland 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Crilley (post 1700) +

  • Lisa Crilley, American actress, known for her roles in Annapolis (2006), The Morgue (2008) and Area Q. (2011)
  • Ann Crilley, American actress, known for her role in Caddyshack (1980)
  • William "Wee Willie" Crilley (1903-1955), Scottish-born, American soccer forward who played from 1920 to 1935
  • Frank William Crilley (1883-1947), United States Navy diver, recipient of the Medal of Honor, eponym of the USS Crilley (YHLC-1) and the Frank W. Crilley building, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C
  • Mark Crilley (b. 1966), American manga creator and children's book author/illustrator


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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