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Oreilly Family History

Oreilly Surname Meaning

Irish (Cavan Meath): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Raghailligh ‘descendant of Raghailleach’ Old Irish Roghallach a personal name of unexplained etymology.

This is the name of a chieftain family in County Cavan related to the O'Rourkes.

In Anglicized form it has also been confused with Ó Raithile found in Munster usually Anglicized as O'Rahilly.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Oreilly family from?

You can see how Oreilly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oreilly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oreilly families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 199 Oreilly families living in Ontario. This was about 55% of all the recorded Oreilly's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Oreilly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oreilly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Oreilly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Oreilly. 67% of Oreilly men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Oreilly women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oreilly were Student and Hairdresser.

View Census Data for Oreilly | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Farmers Son
    10%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Student
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    22%
  • Student
    22%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • Hairdresser
    15%

What Oreilly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 95,000 census records available for the last name Oreilly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oreilly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Oreilly

Passenger Lists

There are 26,000 immigration records available for the last name Oreilly. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Oreilly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Oreilly. For the veterans among your Oreilly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Oreilly family history

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What is the average Oreilly lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Oreilly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Oreilly in 1945 was 32, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oreilly

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oreilly ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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