Contents [hide]

Kellar History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Kellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Scottish history reveals Kellar was first used as a surname by the Strathclyde-Briton people. It was a name for someone who lived in the lands of (Easter and Wester) Keilor in the adjoining parishes of Newtyle and Kettins in Angus. The names are still common in the district. 1

Early Origins of the Kellar family

The surname Kellar was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland. "Stephen de Cellar [was] burgess of Roxburgh, 1262. Duncan de Cellario, burgess of Peril 1292 is doubtless Dunkan del Celer, burgess of Perth, who rendered homage in 1296." 1

The MacKellar variant with its various spellings is in "Gaelic Mac Ealair, 'son of Ealair,' the Gaelic form of Latin Hilarius, the name of the bishop of Poitiers, commemorated in the Felire of Oengus at 13 January. " 1

Early History of the Kellar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kellar research. Another 517 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1345, 1372, 1383, 1398, 1436, 1470, 1476, 1488, 1493, 1496, 1500, 1518, 1525, 1528, 1538, 1550, 1553, 1594, 1679, 1685, 1688, 1704, 1797, 1834, 1876, 1880, 1885 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kellar Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Kellar has been spelled Keller, Kellar, Keeler, Keilor, Keiler, Keillor, Keiller, Kelour, MacKeller and many more.

Early Notables of the Kellar family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Mary MacKellar (1834-1890), highland poetess, daughter of Allan Cameron, baker at Fort William, was born on 1 Oct. 1834. She married early John Mackellar, captain and joint-owner of a coasting vessel...

Kellar Ranking

In the United States, the name Kellar is the 5,742^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Kellar family to Ireland

Some of the Kellar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kellar migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

Kellar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bernhard Kellar, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 3
John Kellar Jr., who arrived in New York in 1773 3

Kellar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Kellar, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1827 3
Martin Kellar, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 3

Kellar migration to Australia +

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

Kellar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Kellar, aged 26, a mason, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Telegraph"

Kellar 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:

Kellar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Kellar, (b. 1844), aged 24, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia aboard the ship " Auckland" arriving in Bluff, New Zealand in 1868 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Kellar (post 1700) +

George Currant Kellar (1879-1954), American politician, 54th and 56th Mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan (1917-1918) and (1919-1920)
Harry Kellar (1849-1922), American magician, best known for his large stage shows during the late 1800s and early 1900s, often referred to as the "Dean of American Magicians"
Ted Kellar, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Dakota, 1960 5
P. C. Kellar, American politician, Mayor of Largo, Florida, 1914 5
Norman Kellar, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Ulster County, 1954 5
Kenneth C. Kellar, American Republican politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate, 1937-40; Presidential Elector for South Dakota, 1940 5
John Kellar, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Barbour County, 1865-67 5
George C. Kellar, American Republican politician, Mayor of Flint, Michigan, 1917-18, 1919-20; Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1934 5
Chambers Kellar (b. 1867), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Dakota, 1932 5
A. J. Kellar, American politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 41st District, 1897-98 5
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html