Explore the Family Name O’kelley
The meaning of O’kelley
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallach’ (see Kelly).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name O’kelley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname O’Kelley has seen a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name O'Kelley fell from 11,473 to 12,320, marking a decrease of 7.38%. However, the actual count of people with the O’Kelley surname increased slightly by 0.24%, from 2,518 to 2,524 individuals. This resulted in a small decline in the proportion per 100,000 people, from 0.93 to 0.86, a reduction of 7.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,473 | #12,320 | -7.38% |
| Count | 2,518 | 2,524 | 0.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.93 | 0.86 | -7.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O’kelley
Concerning the ethnic identity associated with the surname O’Kelley, it has shown some shifts over the decade, as documented by the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (84.87% in 2010, down from 87.73% in 2000), there has been an increase in those identifying as Black (9.39% in 2010, up from 7.98% in 2000) and those identifying with two or more races (2.06% in 2010, up from 1.75% in 2000). There has been a significant rise in the number of those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.67% to 2.89%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders remained steady at 0.44%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly from 0.44% to 0.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.73% | 84.87% | -3.26% |
| Black | 7.98% | 9.39% | 17.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.89% | 73.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.06% | 17.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.44% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.36% | -18.18% |