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

Gahan, 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 Gahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gahan in America

Gahan is the 23432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gahan surname appeared 1,085 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 Gahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gahan 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 Gahan

The surname Gahan is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Geacháin. It originated in County Offaly, Ireland, in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "geacháin," which means "a striker" or "an able man."

The earliest recorded instance of the name Gahan can be found in the medieval Irish annals. In 1173, a man named Donnchadh Ó Geacháin is mentioned as a member of the Uí Failge, a powerful dynasty that ruled over parts of County Offaly during the Middle Ages.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gahans were a prominent family in County Offaly. They were landowners and chieftains in the baronies of Geashill and Philipstown. In 1590, a man named Rory Gahan is recorded as having led a contingent of Irish soldiers in the Nine Years' War against English forces.

The Gahan name has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such figure was William Gahan (1730-1804), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island.

Another notable Gahan was John Gahan (1795-1865), an Irish-born civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several important railways in England, including the London and Birmingham Railway.

In the 19th century, the Gahan name was also prominent in the United States. One notable figure was Thomas Gahan (1819-1889), an Irish-born lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.

Another notable American Gahan was Michael Gahan (1828-1903), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Vincennes, Indiana, from 1876 until his death.

The Gahan surname has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Gahan's Cross, a townland in County Offaly, and Gahan's Bridge, a bridge over the River Barrow in County Laois.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gahan

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

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 Gahan 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 Gahan 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 Gahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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