NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallacher

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name Gille Calmaig, meaning "servant of Calum".

In the 1881 census there were 2,592 people recorded with the Gallacher surname, ranking it #1,720 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,335, ranked #914, up from #1,720 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock West and Central, IZ07 and Greenock Town Centre and East Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallacher is 7,335 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 183.0%.

1881 census count

2,592

Ranked #1,720

Modern count

7,335

2016, ranked #914

Peak year

2016

7,335 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallacher had 2,592 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,720 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,335 in 2016, ranked #914.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,595 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Gallacher surname distribution map

The map shows where the Gallacher surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Gallacher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallacher over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,048 #2,672
1861 historical 1,582 #1,803
1881 historical 2,592 #1,720
1891 historical 2,880 #1,646
1901 historical 3,595 #1,557
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 6,441 #1,009
1998 modern 6,605 #1,030
1999 modern 6,617 #1,040
2000 modern 6,677 #1,018
2001 modern 6,512 #1,022
2002 modern 6,691 #1,009
2003 modern 6,560 #1,011
2004 modern 6,621 #1,000
2005 modern 6,654 #989
2006 modern 6,735 #967
2007 modern 6,822 #965
2008 modern 6,944 #953
2009 modern 7,066 #961
2010 modern 7,194 #962
2011 modern 7,092 #966
2012 modern 7,004 #946
2013 modern 7,121 #956
2014 modern 7,290 #929
2015 modern 7,272 #924
2016 modern 7,335 #914

Geography

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Where Gallachers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenock West and Central, IZ07, Greenock Town Centre and East Central, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Greenock East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
2 IZ07 West Dunbartonshire
3 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
4 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
5 Greenock East Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallacher

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gallacher surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallacher

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gallacher, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Gallacher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Gallacher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gallacher is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gallacher is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gallacher falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gallacher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gallacher, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gallacher

The surname Gallacher is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Chaluim," which means "servant or follower of St. Columba."

The name is closely associated with the regions of Argyll and Bute, as well as the Hebrides Islands off the western coast of Scotland. These areas were historically under the influence of the powerful Clan MacDonald, and it is possible that the Gallachers were originally retainers or followers of this clan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gillecalum de Garthyn," which is believed to be a variant spelling of the modern Gallacher.

In the 16th century, the Gallacher name is mentioned in the Records of the Presbytery of Dunoon, which document the presence of individuals with this surname in the Cowal peninsula of Argyll. This suggests that the Gallachers had established themselves as a prominent local family in the region.

One notable individual bearing the Gallacher name was John Gallacher (c. 1580-1650), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1638. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Another historical figure was Thomas Gallacher (1777-1851), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the St. Andrew's Church and the Royal Bank of Scotland building on Queen Street.

In the 19th century, William Gallacher (1819-1895) was a prominent Scottish businessman and shipowner based in Greenock. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and contributed to the economic growth of the region.

Moving forward in time, the Gallacher name gained further recognition through the life and work of Willie Gallacher (1881-1965), a Scottish trade unionist and communist politician who served as a Member of Parliament for West Fife from 1935 to 1950.

Finally, it is worth mentioning John Gallacher (1920-1998), a Scottish actor best known for his roles in films such as "Tunes of Glory" (1960) and "The Hill" (1965). He was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, and had a successful career spanning several decades.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallacher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallacher surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,170 Gallachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.36x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,170 14.36x
Renfrewshire 523 26.78x
Midlothian 153 4.53x
Dunbartonshire 136 20.09x
Ayrshire 134 7.11x
Angus 80 3.43x
Stirlingshire 61 6.56x
Lancashire 46 0.15x
Yorkshire 29 0.12x
Argyllshire 24 3.42x
West Lothian 23 6.06x
Aberdeenshire 19 0.81x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 4.39x
Perthshire 16 1.41x
Kinross-shire 15 23.55x
Buteshire 14 9.17x
East Lothian 14 4.19x
Wigtownshire 14 4.18x
Durham 13 0.17x
Northumberland 13 0.35x
Sussex 11 0.26x
Dumfriesshire 9 1.62x
Roxburghshire 9 1.97x
Middlesex 7 0.03x
Kincardineshire 5 1.63x
Fife 3 0.20x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Royal Navy 3 1.00x
Berwickshire 2 0.66x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.06x
Peeblesshire 2 1.69x
Selkirkshire 2 0.88x
Staffordshire 2 0.02x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.13x
Kent 1 0.01x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Surrey 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 327 Gallachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.86x.

Place Total Index
Barony 327 15.86x
Govan 302 14.98x
Glasgow 273 18.87x
West Greenock 196 55.92x
Abbey 71 23.83x
Old Kilpatrick 67 83.74x
Dundee 54 6.20x
Port Glasgow 53 56.14x
Middle Greenock 51 95.70x
Maryhill 40 25.08x
East Greenock 36 19.52x
Bothwell 35 15.84x
New Monkland 34 14.11x
Old Monkland 32 9.90x
West Calder 32 48.10x
Hamilton 25 11.00x
Rutherglen 25 20.91x
Bonhill 23 21.16x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 1.62x
Campsie 21 41.18x
Eastwood 21 17.46x
Liberton 21 40.31x
Paisley High Church 20 12.86x
Dumbarton 19 20.16x
Largs 19 42.76x
Middlesbrough 19 5.84x
Dunoon Kilmun 17 31.08x
Neilston 17 17.34x
Renfrew 16 24.81x
Barrow In Furness 15 3.69x
Edinburgh Canongate 15 17.46x
Lasswade 15 19.44x
Loudoun 15 33.08x
Shettleston 15 20.56x
Girvan 13 27.47x
Kilmarnock 13 5.79x
Rothesay 13 17.58x
Bathgate 12 14.57x
Cambuslang 12 14.61x
Roseneath 12 92.38x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 11 2.52x
Edinburgh Old Church 11 40.59x
Kinross 11 50.37x
Riccarton Hurlford 11 33.25x
East Grinstead 10 16.63x
Kilsyth 10 16.88x
Lanark 10 15.25x
Paisley Middle Church 10 8.80x
Falkirk 9 4.14x
Lochee 9 43.23x
Eccleston In Prescot 8 5.33x
Edinburgh New North 8 27.23x
Salford 8 0.91x
Troqueer 8 16.72x
Aberdeen Old Machar 7 1.44x
Bromley London 7 1.26x
Cockpen 7 17.74x
Crossmichael 7 60.71x
Dalry 7 7.89x
Dreghorn 7 20.50x
Dryfesdale 7 27.29x
Everton 7 0.73x
Kilbarchan 7 11.80x
Kirkintilloch 7 7.61x
Kirkmichael 7 40.72x
Liff Benvie 7 1.98x
Mearns 7 20.46x
Oldhamstocks 7 142.86x
Shotts 7 7.18x
Stevenston 7 14.24x
Balfron 6 52.31x
Blantyre 6 7.07x
Dalmellington 6 10.82x
East Kilbride 6 17.19x
Houston Killallan 6 31.75x
Kirkinner 6 43.42x
Leeds 6 0.43x
Mochrum 6 30.03x
Westgate 6 2.58x
Kilwinning 5 8.21x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gallacher surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 15
Ann 5
Margaret 5
Ellen 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Bridget 2
Elizabeth 2
Helena 2
Isabella 2
Susan 2
A. 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Barbara 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Rebecca 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gallacher surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 11
John 8
Michael 7
William 7
Thomas 6
Henry 4
Patrick 4
Francis 3
Joseph 3
Peter 3
George 2
Robert 2
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Duncan 1
Edward 1
Geo. 1
Hugh 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gallacher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallacher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,592 people were recorded with the Gallacher surname. That placed it at #1,720 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallacher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,335 in 2016. That gives Gallacher a modern rank of #914.

What does the Gallacher surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name Gille Calmaig, meaning "servant of Calum".

What does the Gallacher map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gallacher bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.