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The surname Reilly is Irish. The twelfth most common name in Ireland, it originated from Raghailligh, the grandson of the king of Connacht in the 10th century, and founder of the clan O'Connor. The O'Reillys are kin of the O'Connor's. Traditionally, Irish family names are taken from the heads of tribes or an illustrious warrior. The prefix O' means grandson or male descendant of, and Mac denotes "son of". The O'Reilly territory was around County Cavan to County Westmeath and Longford. The O'Reillys had a reputation as astute financiers. In the 15th Century, they devised their own coinage, and a "Reilly" came to mean a coin of value. The Coat of Arms most associated with the family is a green shield with two gold lions rampant combatant, supporting a dexter hand couped at the wrist erect and apaumee bloody proper.

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16y ago

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