Explore the Family Name Kelley
The meaning of Kelley
Irish (Offaly) and English: variant of Kelly.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kelley in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kelley saw a fluctuation in its overall popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 184 out of all surnames in the United States but dropped to the 198th position by 2010, signaling a decrease of 7.61%. However, the number of individuals with the Kelley surname grew from 137,555 in 2000 to 140,693 in 2010, an increase of 2.28%. The proportion per 100k people also declined from 50.99 in 2000 to 47.7 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #184 | #198 | -7.61% |
| Count | 137,555 | 140,693 | 2.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 50.99 | 47.7 | -6.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kelley
The breakdown of ethnic identity among those with the Kelley surname in the Decennial U.S. Census also reveals some changes over the decade. Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of Kelleys identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 17.02%, while those reporting two or more ethnicities rose by 33.55%. The proportion of Kelleys identifying as White decreased slightly, from 85.81% to 83.78%, while the Hispanic community within the Kelley surname grew by 57.97%. The percentage of Kelleys identifying as Black also saw a modest increase from 10.21% to 10.80%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased from 0.62% to 0.66%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.81% | 83.78% | -2.37% |
| Black | 10.21% | 10.8% | 5.78% |
| Hispanic | 1.38% | 2.18% | 57.97% |
| Two or More Races | 1.52% | 2.03% | 33.55% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.62% | 0.66% | 6.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.55% | 17.02% |
Kelley ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Kelley is British & Irish, which comprises 56.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.6% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 17.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Kelley
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Kelley have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
What Kelley haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Kelley is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kelly, Patterson, Martin, Wilson, Clark, Evans, Collins, Thompson, Robertson, Murray.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kelley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Kelley have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Kelley" Surname 39.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Kelley" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kelley" Surname 24.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Kelley" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kelley?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Kelley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition