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

Gannon, 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 Gannon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gannon in America

Gannon is the 2418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gannon surname appeared 14,981 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Gannon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gannon 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 Gannon

The surname Gannon is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic personal name "Gannad," meaning "fair offspring" or "fair-haired." Its roots can be traced back to County Westmeath, Ireland, where it first emerged in the 11th century.

The name is believed to have evolved from the Old Irish word "gann," meaning "rare" or "scarce," which was often used as a term of endearment. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which date back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gannon O'Flaherty, a 13th-century Irish cleric and scholar from County Galway. He was renowned for his theological works and his efforts to preserve Irish language and culture.

Another notable figure was Sir John Gannon, an Irish soldier and statesman who lived in the 16th century. He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland and played a crucial role in the Tudor conquest of Ireland.

In the 17th century, the name Gannon was found in various records, including the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which listed heads of households for tax purposes. One such entry was for a Patrick Gannon in County Westmeath.

During the 18th century, the name gained prominence in the United States as Irish immigrants settled in various regions. One notable figure was Reverend Stephen Gannon, an Irish-born Catholic priest who founded St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City in 1815.

In the 19th century, the name was associated with several notable individuals, including Michael Joseph Gannon (1800-1859), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded St. Louis University in Missouri.

Throughout its history, the surname Gannon has been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Gannons Cross in County Westmeath and Gannon's Grove in County Galway. These places likely derived their names from early bearers of the surname who settled in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gannon

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

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

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

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