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

Gallagher, 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 Gallagher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gallagher in America

Gallagher is the 479th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gallagher surname appeared 69,834 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Gallagher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gallagher 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 Gallagher

The surname Gallagher is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Gallchobhair", which means "foreign helper" or "foreign auxiliary soldier". It is believed to have originated in the counties of Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone in Ulster province, Ireland, sometime around the 10th or 11th century.

The name is thought to be related to the Old Irish word "gall", meaning "foreigner" or "stranger", and "cobhair", meaning "help" or "assistance". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who provided assistance to foreigners or worked as a mercenary soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Gallagher clan in the year 1257. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a record of taxes paid to the English crown, where a "Willelmus O'Galchar" is listed in 1302.

In the 16th century, the Gallagher clan was prominent in County Donegal, and several members are mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned historical chronicle. One notable figure was Rory Gallagher, who died in 1586 after being captured by the English during the Nine Years' War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gallagher include:

1. Brendan Gallagher (born 1992), Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens.
2. Liam Gallagher (born 1972), English singer and songwriter, former lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis.
3. Noel Gallagher (born 1967), English singer and songwriter, former lead guitarist and songwriter for Oasis.
4. Rory Gallagher (1948-1995), Irish blues and rock multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter.
5. Tess Gallagher (born 1943), American author, essayist, and poet.

The name Gallagher has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballynaglagh (meaning "town of the Gallaghers") in County Donegal and Drumgallagher (meaning "ridge of the Gallaghers") in County Tyrone.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gallagher

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

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

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

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