Tully

Tully is a relaxed, rarely used Irish surname possibility which might provide an alternative to Tommy, Eli, or Troy. It has a long history of usage and a number of meanings, depending on which root you follow.

From the surname, Ó Taithligh it could mean "quiet and peaceable", whereas from the Irish word tuile, it likely means "flood". There's also the possibility it's connected to the Scottish place name, Tullos, which comes from the Gaelic tulach meaning "hill", or perhaps to the Irish name Tuathal, meaning "ruler of the people" and the name of various Irish kings and heroes.

From an entirely different root, it has been occasionally used as a modern, anglicized form of the Roman Tullius , most notably the name of the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Meanwhile, statesman Alexander Hamilton used the pen name Tully when he wrote editorials denouncing the instigators of the Whiskey Rebellion, while Tully Blanchard is an American-Canadian wrestler who bears the name.

These days, Tully is currently a quietly used unisex option, given to 38 girls and only seven boys in the US in 2024.

Pronounced TUL-ee.

As of October 2026, Tully ranked #6418 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1293 in 1900, Nameberry popularity #989.