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

Kelliher, 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 Kelliher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kelliher in America

Kelliher is the 13926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kelliher surname appeared 2,168 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kelliher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kelliher 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 Kelliher

The surname Kelliher is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic word "Ceallachair," which means "bright-headed" or "bright-haired." This name was likely given to someone with bright or reddish hair.

The Kelliher name is predominantly found in County Cork, Ireland, particularly in the Barony of Muskerry. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1601, when a Dermod Kelliher was listed in the Fiants of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Kellihers were among the families transplanted to County Clare during the Cromwellian Settlement. This resulted in the name being found in various areas of County Clare, particularly in the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1601, a "Ceallachair O'Clerigh" (Kelliher O'Clery) is mentioned as a participant in the Battle of Kinsale.

The name Kelliher has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Daniel Kelliher (1788-1858), an Irish politician and member of the British Parliament for the Dingle constituency.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Kelliher (1835-1902), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1884 to 1885.

In the literary world, Kathleen Kelliher (1911-1996) was an Irish writer and playwright known for her works depicting rural Irish life.

John Kelliher (1918-2011) was a renowned Irish-American labor leader who served as the president of the International Union of Operating Engineers from 1965 to 1986.

More recently, Marty Kelliher (born 1955) is a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.

While the Kelliher name has its roots in Ireland, it has been carried across the globe by Irish emigrants, and variations of the spelling, such as Kelleher or Kellihur, can be found in various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kelliher

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

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

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

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