Kielly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Kielly originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Coigligh, which may be derived from "coigeal," which denotes "unkempt hair."

Early Origins of the Kielly family

The surname Kielly was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Kielly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kielly research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1461, 1468 and 1470 are included under the topic Early Kielly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kielly Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Kielly family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including O'Quigley, Quigley, Cogley, Quigly, Quigg, MacQuigg, McQuigge, O'Quigg, Twigg, Fivey and many more.

Early Notables of the Kielly family

Notable among the family name at this time was Patrick Cogley (died after 1470), an Irish Crown official, landowner and judge who was listed in 1461 as Master of the Rolls in Ireland and later Chief...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kielly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kielly 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:

Kielly Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Owen Kielly, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hudson" in 1879