2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Galigher
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gaillshéar" meaning "foreign hostage."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Galigher. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galigher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Galigher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galigher, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Black (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galigher
The surname Galigher has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "gaillbhear," which translates to "foreign tiller" or "stranger farmer." This suggests that the name may have been given to an immigrant farmer who settled in Ireland from another region.
In the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, there is a mention of a "Donell Boy Galigher" in the year 1586. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the name being used. Additionally, the surname appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, a collection of official documents from the late 16th century.
The Galigher name can also be found in various land and parish records from the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily in counties such as Donegal, Tyrone, and Fermanagh. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include John Galigher, who was born in County Donegal around 1650, and Patrick Galigher, who was born in County Fermanagh in the late 17th century.
One notable individual with the Galigher surname was Robert Galigher, a prominent 18th-century merchant and landowner from County Tyrone. He was born in 1725 and played a significant role in the economic development of the region. Another notable figure was James Galigher, a soldier who fought in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and later settled in County Donegal.
Throughout the 19th century, the Galigher name continued to be found in various records and documents across Ireland. One notable bearer was Michael Galigher, a writer and poet who was born in County Fermanagh in 1848. He wrote extensively about Irish culture and history.
In the mid-19th century, many individuals with the Galigher surname immigrated to other parts of the world, particularly to North America and Australia, due to the Great Famine and other economic and political factors. One such individual was John Galigher, who was born in County Donegal in 1820 and later settled in Ontario, Canada, where he became a successful farmer and community leader.
The Galigher surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in Ireland, such as Galigher's Brae, a townland in County Fermanagh, and Galigher's Cross, a crossroads near the village of Ballinamallard in County Fermanagh.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galigher
Among Census respondents with the surname Galigher, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Black (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Galigher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Galigher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 92
- Two or more races9.0% · 10
- Black or African American5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galigher
Galigher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,007 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 22,007 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Galigher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galigher bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Galigher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galigher?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Galigher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Galigher?
Galigher ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Galigher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Galigher.
Has Galigher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galigher went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Galigher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galigher, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Black (5.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Galigher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galigher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Two or More Races (9.0%), Black (5.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Galigher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Galigher mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gaillshéar" meaning "foreign hostage." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Galigher (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Galigher?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Galigher is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.