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

Kelleher, 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 Kelleher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kelleher in America

Kelleher is the 3663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kelleher surname appeared 9,714 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kelleher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kelleher 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 Kelleher

The surname Kelleher originated in Ireland and is a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Ceallaigh, which means "descendant of Ceallach." Ceallach was a personal name derived from the word "ceall," meaning "church" or "monastery."

The name is believed to have first emerged in the 10th or 11th century in County Cork, where the Ó Ceallaigh clan was based. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including O'Kelly, Kelly, and Kelleher, as it spread to other parts of Ireland.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the name Kelleher can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals record a notable Kelleher figure named Domhnall Ó Ceallaigh, who was the Bishop of Lesmor (now Lismore) in County Waterford in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Kelleher family held lands in the Barony of Duhallow, County Cork, and were known for their involvement in local conflicts and battles. One notable member was Maoileachlainn Ó Ceallaigh, who fought against the Anglo-Norman invasion in the late 12th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kellehers were among the prominent families in County Cork and played a role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule. A famous figure from this period was Donough Kelleher, a landowner and leader in the Munster Plantation of the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name Kelleher became more widespread, with families bearing the name found in various parts of Ireland. One notable individual was Edmund Kelleher, a wealthy merchant and landowner in County Limerick, who lived from 1725 to 1801.

As the Kelleher name spread throughout Ireland and beyond, it produced several notable figures, including John Kelleher (1804-1885), an Irish-born politician and judge in New Zealand, and Daniel Kelleher (1857-1926), a prominent Irish Catholic priest and author in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kelleher

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

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

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

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