Explore the Family Name O’kelly
The meaning of O’kelly
Irish (Galway): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh, see Kelly. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Conor, Dermot, Eoin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name O’kelly in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname O'Kelly is observed to have slightly decreased in the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 17,540th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had fallen to 18,366th place, a drop of 4.71%. However, the total count of people with this surname increased marginally over the same period. There were 1,480 individuals named O'Kelly in 2000, and this figure increased to 1,508 in 2010, an increase of 1.89%. Nonetheless, when considering the proportion per 100k people, there was a decrease from 0.55 to 0.51, marking a 7.27% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,540 | #18,366 | -4.71% |
| Count | 1,480 | 1,508 | 1.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.55 | 0.51 | -7.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O’kelly
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the O'Kelly surname identified as White, remaining fairly stable at 85.95% in 2000 and 85.88% in 2010. Those identifying as Black made up 10.81% of the O'Kelly population in 2000, but this percentage fell to 9.28% by 2010, a decrease of 14.15%. The proportion of O'Kellys identifying as Hispanic saw an increase over the decade, rising from 1.55% to 2.39%, a growth of 54.19%. Similarly, people claiming two or more races also rose, going from 1.08% to 1.53%, which corresponds to an increase of 41.67%. No O'Kellys identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.95% | 85.88% | -0.08% |
| Black | 10.81% | 9.28% | -14.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.39% | 54.19% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.53% | 41.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |