Show ContentsLally History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Lally was "O Maolalaidh," which may be derived from "aladh," which means "speckled."

Early Origins of the Lally family

The surname Lally was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Lally family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lally research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1558, 1572, 1595, 1691, 1702 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Lally History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lally Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Lally revealed many variations, including Lally, Lalley, Mulally, O'Mulally, O'Lally and others.

Early Notables of the Lally family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Thomas Arthur Lally, Count Lally, Commander in Chief of the French Army
  • James Lally (died 1691), Irish landowner and politician from County Galway
  • his son Thomas Arthur Lally (1702-1766), Baron de Tollendal and Comte de Lally

Lally Ranking

In the United States, the name Lally is the 6,858th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Lally migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Lally family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Lally Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Lally, who settled in Virginia in 1764
Lally Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Lally, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
  • Patrick, James, John, Michael and William Lally all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860

Lally migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lally Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Lally, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1843
  • Miss. Ann Lally, aged 10 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Munn" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 3
  • Mr. Edward Lally, aged 50 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Virginius" departing 28th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 12th August 1847 but he died on board 4
  • Mr. James Lally, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Bridgetown" departing 3rd July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 29th August 1847 but he died on board 4
  • Mrs. Mary Lally, aged 23 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Virginius" departing 28th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 12th August 1847 but she died on board 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lally migration to Australia +

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

Lally Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Lally, (b. 1788), aged 30, Irish labourer who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 9th August 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Mr. William Lally, Jr., British Convict who was convicted in Jersey for 7 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Michael Lally, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Theresa" in 1847 7
  • Mr. William Lally, English convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 8
  • Anen Lally, aged 28, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Fitzjames"

Lally 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:

Lally Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Lally, (b. 1846), aged 28, Irish farm labourer from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 9
  • Mrs. Mary Lally, (b. 1848), aged 26, Irish settler from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 9
  • Edward Lally, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 10
  • Catherine Lally, aged 40, a dressmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Lally (post 1700) +

  • Paul M. Lally, American television producer, writer, and director, best known as having directed over 100 episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
  • Mike Lally, American actor in television and movies
  • Joe Lally, American rock musician
  • Bill Lally, American basketball player
  • Ray Lally (b. 1985), Irish footballer
  • Ken Lally (1971-2023), British actor known for his role in Mortal Kombat
  • Patrick James "Pat" Lally (1926-2018), Scottish politician who was Leader of Glasgow City Council and Lord Provost of Glasgow
  • Patrick Anthony "Pat" Lally (b. 1952), English former footballer
  • Trophime Gerard Lally (1751-1830), French Marquis de Lally-Tollendal
  • Thomas Arthur Lally (1702-1766), French soldier

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. James Lally (d. 1914), British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 11


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 38)
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THERESA 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Theresa.htm
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook