Conley from O′Conghaile or [1]Ó Conghalaigh (“hound valiant”) is a surname of Irish or Manx origin. The anglicized forms Conneely, Connealy, and Cunneely emerged due to the loss of the "gh" sound, which lengthened the second syllable of Conghal. In Connacht, these forms are often shortened from McNeilly, derived from Mac Conghaile. Another possible origin is the West Cork name Mac Coingheallaigh or Ó Coingheallaigh, meaning "faithful to pledges." Historically, O'Connolly was a principal name of County Monaghan.[1]
Conley is also used as a male given name, anglicized from Old Irish Conláed, meaning "constant fire," which combines cunnail ("prudent, constant") and áed ("fire"). Alternatively, it could be a compound name from Old Irish cond ("intellect," "mind," or "king") or cenn ("head, chief") and ley, an Anglo-Norman term for "field, meadow, or forest clearing." Conley is a variant spelling of Connelly, Connley, and Connolly.
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^ abMichael C. O'Laughlin, ed. (2002). The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small (3rd ed.). Kansas City, MO: Irish Genealogical Foundation. p. 61. ISBN0-940134-09-8.
This page lists people with the surnameConley. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
