Chilly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Etymology of Chilly

What does the name Chilly mean?

The roots of the name Chilly come from the Viking settlers of ancient Scotland. The name was derived from Giles. "In the Scottish dialect jelly means worthy, upright." 1

The surname Chilly is derived from a corruption of this personal name. Giles is derived from the Old Scandinavian personal name Gilli, which came to the British Isles with the Vikings who settled in the north of England and in Scotland in the 9th century AD. They came to the British Isles under the leadership of Sigurd the Stout after they were dispossessed of their lands by the King of Norway.

Early Origins of the Chilly family

The surname Chilly was first found in Ayrshire where early record show Thomas Jelle held a tenement in 1518. Later, William Jellie is recorded in Cruikens, parish of Carnwath, 1673 and Andrew Jellie and his wife were residents in the parish of Borgue, 1684. 2

Further to the south in England, we found Thomas Jely listed in Essex in 1472; Robert Jely in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524 and John Jelleye and Richard Gellye in Surrey in 1583. 3

Early History of the Chilly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chilly research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1592, 1593, 1621, 1663, 1665 and 1673 are included under the topic Early Chilly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chilly Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes most often spelled names by the way they sounded. spelling variations, are thus, very common in records dating from that time. Over the years, Chilly has been spelled Jelly, Jellie, Jelley and others.

Early Notables of the Chilly family

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

Migration of the Chilly family

The Scottish settlers spread out along the fertile land of the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. They and many of their children went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. That heritage has been recovered by many in this century through Clan societies and other Scottish historical organizations. Archival documents indicate that members of the Chilly family relocated to North American shores quite early: Hugh Jelly settled in Philadelphia in 1804; James Jelly settled in New York in 1823; Thomas Jelly, his wife Mary, and son Richard and his servants, settled in Barbados in 1678.

Contemporary Notables of the name Chilly (post 1700) +

Chilly Gonzales (b. 1972), born Jason Charles Beck, Canadian Grammy nominated musician

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)