Oraley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Oraley

What does the name Oraley mean?

The Oraley surname originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Raghailligh, which means descendant of Raghallach.

Early Origins of the Oraley family

The surname Oraley was first found in County Cavan. They were known as the Princes of East Breffny, descended from Raghallaigh, Prince of Breffny in 981. They maintained their territory during the Anglo/Norman invasion of Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in 1172, but Sir John O'Reilly, Prince of Breffny surrendered the principality to Queen Elizabeth I thereby ensuring that his territories remained intact.

Early History of the Oraley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oraley research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1630, 1640, 1646, 1667, 1669, 1689, 1691, 1695 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Oraley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oraley Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Oraley dating from that time include O'Reilly, O'Reilley, O'Reily, O'Rielly, O'Riely, O'Riley, O'Rilley, Reel and many more.

Early Notables of the Oraley family

Count John O'Reilly; Edmund O'Reilly (1598-1669), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh; Hugh Reily (Reilly or O’Reilly) (c.1630-1695) Irish Member of Parliament for Cavan Borough in the Patriot Parliament of 1689; Philip Og O’Reilly (Gaelic was Phillip Óg O’Raghallaigh)(c.1640-1703), Irish politician, Member of Parliament for Cavan Borough in the...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oraley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oraley family

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Oraley: the families who settled in Newfoundland - in St. John's, Tilton Harbour, Placientia, Tickle Bay, Tilt Cove, and many more, between 1805 and 1871; James O'.