NICHOLAS KELLY

English form of the post-classical Greek personal name Nikolaos, derived from nikē ‘victory’ + laos ‘people’. The spelling with -ch- first occurred as early as the 12th century, and became firmly established at the time of the Reformation, although Nicolas is still occasionally found. St Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, about whom virtually nothing factual is known, although a vast body of legend grew up around him, and he became the patron saint of Greece and of Russia, as well as of children, sailors, merchants, and pawnbrokers. His feast day is 6 December, and among the many roles which legend has assigned to him is that of bringer of Christmas presents, in the guise of ‘Santa Claus’ (an alteration of the Dutch form of his name, Sinterklaas).

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant 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 Irish family names in Ireland.