Courtney-Ireland

 

 

 

Directly translated the name means ”descendant of Curnán” an ancient Irish personal name, the same as Cuirnín. It is a Kerry surname. It is a varient of the Breifney surname Ó Curnín and there is reason for believing that the families are the same.

 

This surname was brought from England to Ireland by settlers from Devonshire who were among the principal adventurers who acquired parts of the sequestrated Desmond estates in County Limerick and County Kerry at the end of the 16th century. Tralee is the chief town of the county and was a borough, the only other market towns were Dingle, Cahirciveen and Killarney. Before the Anglo-Invasion of Ireland the principal families in County Kerry were the O’Connors, O’Sullivan, O’Moriartys, O’Mahonys and O’Donoghues. Soon after the invasion, as the newcommers pushed into western Munster, the McCarthy’s retreated into Kerry. The Geraldine FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds gained a foothold in the county by the 13th century and eventually extended their power there at the expense of the earlier overlords.

 

The majority of families of the name in Ireland today, however, descend from the O Curnain family of County Kerry, their progenitors having adopted the name Courtney in lieu of Cournane. As recently as the early years of the present century there is record of families in County Kerry who used the two surnames interchangeably. The tradition of surnames in Ireland developed spontaneously, as the population increased and the former practice, first of single names and then of ephemeral patronymics or agnomina of the nickname type proved insufficiently definitive. At first the surname was formed by prefixing ‘Mac’ to the father’s Christian name or ‘O ‘to that of a grandfather or earlier ancestor. 

Hollis-England

 

 

 Hollis. From a surname which was derived from a place name, which was itself derived from Old English holen, “holly”.

First found in Nottinghamshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the “open frontiers” of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. 

O’Kelley-Ireland

The surname O’Ceallach, O’Cealaigh, or Ó Ceallaiġ pronounced as O’Kelly is believed to be associated with the Irish meaning, “grandson of Caellach”.  Reported to be descendants from Milesius, King of the Celts, the Kelly name and many variations is one of the most popular names in all of Ireland.  The O’Kellys were treasurers of Connaught. They had castles in both Galway and Roscommon.

From all reports it does appear O’Kelly is a old and honorable name in Irish History dating back to 874 AD, many O’Kellys gave their lives in the many battles over the soil of Ireland.

 

The Coat of Arms is different for many branches of the family, and the animal standing on the two sides of the tower was added in 1014 AD after the battle of Clontarf when it was reported the animal rose from the sea saving the life of a fallen comrade.

The animal is described in the Burke’s General Armory as “the head of a fox, the chest of an elephant, the mane of a horse, the forelegs of an eagle, the body and hind legs of a greyhound, and the tail of a lion”.

 

The ancient Kelly burial ground are located in Clonmacnois and Kilconell.

The O’Kelley spelling of the name only seems to appear in America. No evidence to date has been uncovered to indicate why the name is spelled in this manner in America but one can only speculate this occurred as a result of a name translation or to indicate a split in a family. Several publications do report that the many variations of the name is common within the same family even today.  As listed at the top of this page, the Gaelic spelling which would have been more common when my ancestry came to America is spelled much differently but to an English speaking ship master, it is very likely the name O’Ceallaigh would be spelled in English as O’Kelley or O’Kelly or Kelly and that is more likely how my family name came to be spelled with the second “e”.