Find out how popular the last name Kealiher is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kealiher.
Irish surname derived from Irish Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh" meaning "descendant of Ceallach".
Kealiher, 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 Kealiher surname is from the 2010 census data.
Kealiher is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Kealiher surname appeared 147 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 Kealiher.
We can also compare 2010 data for Kealiher 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 118185 | 118236 | -0.04% |
| Count | 147 | 136 | 7.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.00% |
The surname Kealiher originates from Ireland and dates back to the 13th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Caollaidhe," which means "descendant of Caollaidhe." Caollaidhe was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "caol," meaning "slender" or "thin."
The Kealiher name is primarily associated with County Kerry in the southwestern part of Ireland. It is believed that the family clan was originally based in the region around the Dingle Peninsula and the Iveragh Peninsula. In ancient Irish records, the name appears with various spellings, such as O'Caoillide, O'Caoillaidhe, and O'Caillidhe.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Kealiher name can be found in the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1292, the annals mention a "Turlough O'Caollaidhe" who was involved in a local conflict.
In the 16th century, the Kealiher family played a role in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Ireland. A notable figure from this period was Donogh Kealiher, who served as a captain in the rebel forces led by the Earl of Desmond.
Another prominent individual with the Kealiher name was Maurice Kealiher (1642-1714), a Roman Catholic priest and bishop who lived during the Penal Laws era in Ireland. He served as the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe from 1709 until his death.
In the 18th century, Patrick Kealiher (1720-1795) was a renowned Irish scholar and poet. He was a native of County Kerry and became proficient in both Irish and Latin languages. His poetic works were widely celebrated in his time.
During the Great Famine in Ireland in the 19th century, many Kealiher families were forced to emigrate to other countries, particularly the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this era was John Kealiher (1828-1901), an Irish immigrant who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
Other notable individuals with the Kealiher name include Michael Kealiher (1866-1934), an Irish-American labor leader and activist, and James Kealiher (1900-1972), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kealiher.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kealiher was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.92% | 141 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Kealiher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.92% | 91.91% | 4.27% |
| Black | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 5.15% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Kealiher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kealiher, please contact us.
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!
<a href="https://namecensus.com/last-names/kealiher-surname-popularity/">Kealiher last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.