2000
#13,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Kelliher
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Céileachair," meaning "descendant of Céileachar," a personal name of uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,386 Americans carry the last name Kelliher. That puts it at #13,889 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelliher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kelliher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,652
Census rank
#13,889
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,081 bearers of the surname Kelliher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13889th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelliher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelliher
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelliher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelliher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kelliher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 1,960
- Two or more races2.5% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelliher
Kelliher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,168
+47 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 725 places
2020
#13,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,081
-87 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,201 | 2,121 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,926 | 2,168 | 0.73 | +47 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 725 places |
| 2020 | #13,889 | 2,081 | 0.70 | -87 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 37 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kelliher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,926 | #13,889 | 0.3% |
| Count | 2,168 | 2,081 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.70 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelliher bearers went from 2,168 to 2,081 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,926 to #13,889.
FAQ
Kelliher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelliher?
Name Census estimates that about 2,386 living Americans carry the surname Kelliher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,652 residents.
How common is Kelliher?
Kelliher ranks #13,889 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,081 people with the surname Kelliher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,386), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kelliher.
Has Kelliher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelliher went from 2,168 recorded bearers to 2,081. That is a decrease of 87 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,926 to #13,889.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelliher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelliher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kelliher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,960 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelliher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kelliher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kelliher mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Céileachair," meaning "descendant of Céileachar," a personal name of uncertain meaning. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kelliher (0.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Kelliher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.