Kelly is a given name, popular in English-speaking and some South-American countries. Kelly is actually an Irish last name, but it has been given for some time as a first name to both boys and girls.
The masculine name was originally an Anglicised form of the Irish Ceallach. The feminine form of the name today is stated to be derived from the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh, meaning "descendant of Ceallach". The given name Ceallach is said to mean "bright headed", or possibly "strife"; however it could also be derived from elements meaning "monastery" or "church".More
