Kilroy Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Kilroy Family History

Kilroy Family History

The ancient origin of the name Kilroy was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Kilroy include Kilroe, McIlroy, McElroy, McGilroy, Gilroy and Kilroye. This name is MacGiolla Rua in Irish, which translates as 'son of the red lad', meaning a red-haired youth. The sept originated in County Fermanagh where the place name Ballymackilroy is found. Their territory was on the east side of Lough Erne. These families were of some importance in Gaelic Ireland, particularly in the fifteenth century, as their frequent mention in the 'Annals of the Four Masters' testifies. A notable person of the name was Rev. John MacElroy, (1782-1877), a native of Fermanagh, where he was educated at a hedge school. He was associated with the United Irishmen in 1798. Birth registration statistics from 1864-1890 indicate that the name Kilroy was mainly associated with the northern part of Connacht Province. The Kilroy family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Kilroy descendants.