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

Killough, 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 Killough surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Killough in America

Killough is the 11810th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Killough surname appeared 2,650 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 Killough.

We can also compare 2010 data for Killough 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 Killough

The surname Killough has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "cill" meaning church, and "achaidh" meaning field, suggesting that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a church or a settlement near a church in a field.

The name Killough is closely associated with County Down in Northern Ireland, where the town of Killough is located. This coastal town likely took its name from the same Gaelic roots, and it is believed that the surname originated in this area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Killough can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a person named Giolla Críost Ó Ceallaigh in the year 1184. This entry is considered one of the earliest written records of the name.

In the 16th century, the name Killough appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the Tudor era. This suggests that the Killough family had established itself as a prominent name during this time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Killough throughout history include:

1. Sir John Killough (1575-1647), an Irish politician and landowner from County Down, who served as a member of the Irish Parliament in the early 17th century.

2. Thomas Killough (1753-1821), an Irish-born American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

3. William Killough (1802-1888), an American politician from Ohio who served as a U.S. Representative in the 35th Congress.

4. Mary Killough (1860-1939), an American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and founded the Killough School for Girls in Virginia.

5. Robert Killough (1916-2001), a British-born American physicist who made significant contributions to the development of particle accelerators and nuclear physics research.

The surname Killough has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Ireland, such as Killough Bay and Killough Castle, both located in County Down. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Killough

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

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

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

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