Origin
Kelly : 1: Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh or in some areas Mac Ceallaigh ‘descendant (or son) of Ceallach’ an ancient Irish personal name originally a byname meaning ‘bright-headed’ later understood as ‘frequenting churches’ (Irish ceall). There are several early Irish saints who bore this name. Kelly is now the most common of all surnames in Ireland.2: Scottish: habitational name from either the lands of Kelly near Arbroath (Angus) Kellie in Carnbee (Fife) or Kelly in Methlick (Aberdeenshire). Each of these placenames is from Pictish celli or Gaelic coille ‘wood’ + the placename forming suffix -in. Alternatively from the lands of Kelloe in the barony of Hume (Berwickshire) whose name is of uncertain origin.3: English: habitational name from Kelly (Devon). The placename probably derives from a British cognate of Cornish kelli ‘grove small wood’.
Broadwood : from Middle English brad + wode (Old English brād + wudu) from one or more of the various places named as ‘the broad wood’ such as Broadwood in Stanhope (Durham) Broadwood Farm in Carhampton (Somerset) Broadwood Kelly and Broadwoodwidger (both Devon). The name in NE England and SE Scotland may have been confused with Broadwith.
Hornbrook : English (Devon and Cornwall): habitational name from Hornbrook in Kelly (Devon) from Old English horn ‘horn-shaped piece of land’ + brōc ‘brook stream’. This surname has been established in Ireland (Cork) since the early 17th century.
Hornibrook : English: habitational name from Hornbrook in Kelly (Devon) which derives its name from Old English horn ‘horn-shaped piece of land’ + brōc ‘brook stream’. The surname has been established in Ireland (Cork) since the early 17th century.
Kell : 1: German: from Middle High German and Middle Low German kelle ‘trowel’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of such tools.2: German: habitational name from any of the places especially in Rhineland named Kell from Middle Low German kel (a field name denoting swampy land) or from kelle ‘steep path ravine’ (see Kelle).3: English (northern): from the Old Norse personal name Kel Kæl shortened from Áskell (from Ásketill) Ulkel (from Ulfkil) or similar rather than from the single-element name Ketill (see Kettle) or its descendants the shortening of which in Scandinavia occurs later.4: English (northern): variant of Keel or perhaps sometimes Keld a habitational or topographic name from Middle English keld ‘spring’ (Old Norse kelda) or from any of several places called with this word such as Keld in Westmorland North Yorkshire and Yorkshire.5: Irish (Antrim and Leitrim): variant of O'Kell which may itself be a variant of O'Kelly.
McKelly : from Mac Ceallaigh ‘son of Ceallach’. See Kelly. In Ireland and IoM the surname was generally reduced to Kelly. In Scotland if the final fricative /x/ was pronounced it is possible that mac might be dropped to result in Killough. Dropping of final /x/ might result in the spelling o in Scotland. There may have been some confusion with McCulloch.
Middlecote : 1: variant of Medlicott. 2: from one or other of the nine places called Middlecott (from Old English middel ‘middle’ + cot ‘cottage hut shelter’) in Devon in the parishes of Bradford Broadwood Kelly East Buckland Chagford Ilsington Knowstone Morchard Bishop Rackenford and Virginstow.
Nethercott : English (Devon and Somerset): habitational name from one or more of the many minor places called Nethercott in Devon (the placename occurs in the parishes of Alverdiscott Braunston Broadwood Kelly Broadwoodwidger Chawleigh Iddesleigh Lifton Oakford Parkham Rose Ash Spreyton and Tetcott) or from Nethercote (Northamptonshire) or from Nethercote in Lewknor or Nethercott in Tackley (both in Oxforshire). All of the placenames derive from Middle English nether ‘lower’ + cot ‘cottage’ (Old English neothera cot) except Nethercote in Lewknor Oxfordshire which derives from Middle English other ‘other’ (Old English ōther) + cot with the N- due to misdivision of Middle English atten other.
O'Kell : Of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Irish O'Kelly. Alternatively it may be a false irishization of Kell.
Shute : 1: English (Devon): habitational name from any of several places called with Middle English shute Old English scīete ‘projecting piece of land’ (often in the corner of a parish) in particular those in Devon which include Shute near Axminster Shute in Kelly Shute in Ugborough Shute in Shobrooke Shute Farm in Bishopsteignton and Shewte in Bovey Tracy. Other sources of the surname may include Shute Farm in Longbridge Deverill and Shute Farm in Donhead Saint Mary (both Wiltshire).2: In some cases also an Americanized form of Croatian and Slovenian Šute and probably also of its cognate Šutej (see Shutey). Compare Shutte and Schutte.
More
Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
Subject to the Terms and Conditions of Ancestry