The spelling of the word "Farrelly" can be confusing due to the irregular pronunciation of certain letters. The IPA phonetic transcription of the name is /fəˈrɛli/. The first two letters "Fa" are pronounced with a short "a" sound, as in "cat." The letter "r" is pronounced with a slight roll of the tongue. The following letters "el" are pronounced with a short "e" sound, as in "pet." Lastly, the letters "ly" are pronounced with a soft "i" sound, as in "lift."
The word "Farrelly" is generally considered to be of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Fearghaile, which means "descendant of Fearghal". Fearghal is an old Irish personal name composed of the elements "fear", meaning "man", and "gal", meaning "valor" or "valorous". Over time, the name Ó Fearghaile has anglicized to "Farrelly". Thus, the etymology of the word "Farrelly" can be traced back to ancient Irish roots.