Show ContentsNalley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Nalley

What does the name Nalley mean?

The original Gaelic form of Nalley was Mac an Fhailghigh, which is derived from the word failgheach, which means poor man.

Early Origins of the Nalley family

The surname Nalley was first found in counties Armagh and Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Nalley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nalley research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1653, 1680 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Nalley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nalley Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Nalley dating from that time include McNally, McAnully, McAnalley, McAnally and others.

Early Notables of the Nalley family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nalley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nalley Ranking

In the United States, the name Nalley is the 6,738th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Nalley migration to the United States +

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nalley or a variant listed above:

Nalley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Augustus Nalley, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Dublin, in 1899
  • Bridget Nalley, aged 22, who landed in America from Castlebar, in 1899
Nalley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Maggie Nalley, aged 21, who settled in America from Donegal, in 1904
  • Faye Nalley, aged 55, who settled in America, in 1908
  • Tammie Nalley, aged 32, who immigrated to America, in 1908
  • James Nalley, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Dewsbury, England, in 1912
  • Frank N. Nalley, aged 16, who landed in America, in 1918
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nalley (post 1700) +

  • James Nalley (b. 1962), American professional football player
  • Elizabeth Ann Nalley, American chemist, Professor of Chemistry at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, President of the American Chemical Society in 2006
  • Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley (1870-1902), American three sport participant at the University of Georgia
  • Kim Nalley, American jazz & blues singer
  • V. R. Nalley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 1956
  • Thomas Bailey Nalley, American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Pickens County, 1947-50
  • Lester L. Nalley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1944, 1948


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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