Find out how popular the last name Cahir is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cahir.

Cahir, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cahir surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cahir in America

Cahir is the 133048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cahir surname appeared 127 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cahir.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cahir to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cahir

The surname Cahir has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "Cathair" or "Cathar," which translate to "stone fort" or "city." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by families living in or near a fortified settlement or town.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish records and annals. One notable example is the mention of a "Dermot Cahir" in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history compiled in the 17th century, which details events from the 12th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Cahir appeared in the Annals of Ulster, another important medieval Irish chronicle. This reference lists a "Maolmuire Cahir" who was involved in a conflict in the year 1340.

A notable figure bearing the surname Cahir was Edmond Cahir, an Irish lawyer and politician who lived in the 16th century. Edmond Cahir served as a member of the Irish Parliament and was a prominent figure in the legal and political spheres of his time.

Another individual of historical significance was John Cahir, an Irish soldier who fought in the Confederate Wars (also known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms) during the 17th century. John Cahir served in the Irish Confederate forces and played a role in the armed conflicts that took place between 1641 and 1653.

In the 18th century, a prominent bearer of the surname was Daniel Cahir, an Irish writer and poet. Cahir's works focused on themes of Irish culture, history, and identity, and he contributed to the literary landscape of his time.

The surname Cahir has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Cahir Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery in County Tipperary, and Cahir Castle, a well-preserved medieval castle located in the town of Cahir, also in County Tipperary.

Throughout its history, the surname Cahir has undergone various spelling variations, including Caher, Cahir, Cahire, and Cahire. These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped the name over centuries of use in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cahir

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cahir.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cahir was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cahir has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cahir was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cahir, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!