NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallagher

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar," derived from Gaelic elements meaning "foreign helper."

In the 1881 census there were 4,530 people recorded with the Gallagher surname, ranking it #991 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 23,632, ranked #250, up from #991 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Gorbals and Hutchesontown and Laurieston and Tradeston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallagher is 23,828 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 421.7%.

1881 census count

4,530

Ranked #991

Modern count

23,632

2016, ranked #250

Peak year

2014

23,828 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallagher had 4,530 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #991 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 23,632 in 2016, ranked #250.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,765 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gallagher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gallagher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallagher 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 1,348 #2,139
1861 historical 1,830 #1,580
1881 historical 4,530 #991
1891 historical 5,090 #923
1901 historical 6,765 #818
1911 historical 6,055 #855
1997 modern 21,174 #272
1998 modern 21,820 #278
1999 modern 22,099 #277
2000 modern 21,958 #276
2001 modern 21,452 #274
2002 modern 22,059 #269
2003 modern 21,722 #267
2004 modern 21,790 #266
2005 modern 21,755 #260
2006 modern 21,802 #260
2007 modern 22,138 #259
2008 modern 22,533 #255
2009 modern 23,049 #256
2010 modern 23,725 #254
2011 modern 23,441 #253
2012 modern 22,943 #253
2013 modern 23,630 #252
2014 modern 23,828 #252
2015 modern 23,612 #252
2016 modern 23,632 #250

Geography

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Where Gallaghers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Laurieston and Tradeston, Castlemilk and Govanhill East and Aikenhead. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gateshead Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
3 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City
4 Castlemilk Glasgow City
5 Govanhill East and Aikenhead Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallagher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallagher

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gallagher, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gallagher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gallagher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gallagher 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

Gallagher is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gallagher 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 Gallagher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gallagher

The surname Gallagher is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Gallchobhair", which means "foreign helper" or "foreign auxiliary soldier". It is believed to have originated in the counties of Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone in Ulster province, Ireland, sometime around the 10th or 11th century.

The name is thought to be related to the Old Irish word "gall", meaning "foreigner" or "stranger", and "cobhair", meaning "help" or "assistance". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who provided assistance to foreigners or worked as a mercenary soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Gallagher clan in the year 1257. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a record of taxes paid to the English crown, where a "Willelmus O'Galchar" is listed in 1302.

In the 16th century, the Gallagher clan was prominent in County Donegal, and several members are mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned historical chronicle. One notable figure was Rory Gallagher, who died in 1586 after being captured by the English during the Nine Years' War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gallagher include:

1. Brendan Gallagher (born 1992), Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens. 2. Liam Gallagher (born 1972), English singer and songwriter, former lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis. 3. Noel Gallagher (born 1967), English singer and songwriter, former lead guitarist and songwriter for Oasis. 4. Rory Gallagher (1948-1995), Irish blues and rock multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. 5. Tess Gallagher (born 1943), American author, essayist, and poet.

The name Gallagher has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballynaglagh (meaning "town of the Gallaghers") in County Donegal and Drumgallagher (meaning "ridge of the Gallaghers") in County Tyrone.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallagher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallagher 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. Lancashire leads with 1,788 Gallaghers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,788 3.39x
Yorkshire 595 1.35x
Lanarkshire 435 3.03x
Durham 334 2.53x
Northumberland 197 2.98x
Middlesex 142 0.32x
Staffordshire 138 0.92x
Cheshire 104 1.06x
Warwickshire 75 0.67x
Renfrewshire 70 2.04x
Midlothian 63 1.06x
Surrey 59 0.27x
Hampshire 57 0.63x
Kent 57 0.38x
Cumberland 49 1.28x
Flintshire 41 3.44x
Angus 34 0.83x
Stirlingshire 31 1.89x
Derbyshire 25 0.36x
Essex 25 0.29x
Ayrshire 21 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 18 1.51x
Devon 17 0.18x
Leicestershire 17 0.35x
Dumfriesshire 16 1.63x
Isle of Man 15 1.82x
West Lothian 14 2.09x
Argyllshire 11 0.89x
Kinross-shire 11 9.80x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.15x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.19x
Royal Navy 7 1.32x
Gloucestershire 6 0.07x
Sussex 6 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.28x
Selkirkshire 5 1.25x
Worcestershire 5 0.09x
Buteshire 4 1.49x
Channel Islands 4 0.30x
Dorset 4 0.14x
Glamorgan 3 0.04x
Peeblesshire 3 1.44x
Anglesey 2 0.25x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Brecknockshire 2 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.07x
Fife 2 0.08x
Lincolnshire 2 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.11x
Inverness-shire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.01x
Roxburghshire 1 0.12x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.02x
Wigtownshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 377 Gallaghers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.79x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 377 11.79x
Blackburn 136 9.71x
Glasgow 114 4.47x
Govan 111 3.13x
Bradford 101 9.49x
Barony 92 2.53x
Wigan 84 11.41x
Manchester 77 3.25x
Toxteth Park 74 4.15x
Everton 63 3.75x
Leeds 52 2.09x
Preston 52 3.69x
Great Bolton 48 6.88x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 45 11.41x
Burnley 44 9.92x
Windle 43 14.51x
Widnes 40 10.53x
Oldham 35 2.06x
Old Monkland 34 5.97x
Salford 34 2.20x
Barrow In Furness 32 4.47x
Birmingham 32 0.86x
Birkenhead 31 3.97x
Parr 31 16.45x
Westoe 31 4.14x
Dewsbury 30 6.65x
Huddersfield 30 4.68x
Middlesbrough 30 5.24x
West Derby 30 1.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 29 1.83x
Monk Hesleden 28 76.09x
Gateshead 26 2.63x
Hulme 26 2.36x
Kirkdale 25 2.82x
Little Bolton 25 3.69x
Dundee 24 1.56x
Hamilton 24 5.99x
Campsie 23 25.60x
Broughton In Salford 22 4.57x
Stranton 22 4.95x
Wakefield 22 6.52x
Heckmondwike 21 14.85x
Keighley 21 4.48x
Walsall Foreign 21 2.71x
Worsley 21 6.47x
Bowling 20 4.59x
Holywell 20 13.35x
Scarborough 20 5.00x
Caldewgate 19 9.07x
Ashton Under Lyne 18 1.56x
Berwick Upon Tweed 18 12.86x
Bootle Cum Linacre 18 4.30x
Bothwell 18 4.62x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 2.15x
Newchurch 18 4.18x
Pendleton In Salford 18 2.87x
Stockton On Tees 18 2.83x
Wednesbury 18 4.81x
Byker 17 5.21x
Camberwell 17 0.60x
Elswick 17 3.23x
St Cuthbert W O 17 9.13x
Atherstone 16 27.99x
Bishopwearmouth 16 1.41x
Brightside Bierlow 16 1.85x
Dukinfield 16 3.53x
Middle Greenock 16 17.05x
Portsea 16 0.90x
Chester St John Baptist 15 8.52x
Deptford St Paul 15 1.28x
Dumfries 15 15.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 0.63x
Heap 15 5.37x
Paisley High Church 15 5.48x
Poulton Le Fylde 15 80.26x
St Marylebone London 15 0.63x
Wallsend 15 7.16x
Accrington 14 2.92x
Heaton Norris 14 4.67x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 2.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 458
Margaret 127
Catherine 126
Bridget 123
Ellen 112
Ann 111
Elizabeth 70
Sarah 58
Annie 53
Jane 45
Eliza 29
Rose 28
Kate 27
Alice 23
Agnes 21
Anne 17
Hannah 17
Isabella 12
Martha 11
Winifred 11
Emily 10
Susan 10
Margt. 9
Elizth. 8
Ada 7
Frances 7
Julia 7
Margret 7
Maria 7
Caroline 6
Edith 6
Eliz. 6
Norah 6
Rebecca 6
Betsy 5
Catharine 5
Cathrine 5
Fanny 5
Gertrude 5
Harriet 5
Harriett 5
Charlotte 4
Eleanor 4
Emma 4
Esther 4
Florence 4
Lizzie 4
Matilda 4
Nancy 4
Susannah 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 363
James 254
Thomas 195
Patrick 182
Michael 127
William 102
Edward 57
Joseph 53
Peter 53
Charles 45
Hugh 42
Martin 40
Francis 26
Henry 25
Anthony 23
George 21
Daniel 19
Owen 17
Andrew 15
Richard 15
Robert 15
Bernard 13
Frank 12
Stephen 11
David 10
Thos. 10
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Jno. 7
Timothy 7
Alexander 5
Arthur 5
Matthew 5
Philip 5
Wm. 5
Herbert 4
Jas. 4
Luke 4
Mark 4
Michl. 4
Pat. 4
Ann 3
Christopher 3
Dennis 3
Mathew 3
Micheal 3
Michel 3
Phillip 3
Terence 3
Walter 3

FAQ

Gallagher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallagher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,530 people were recorded with the Gallagher surname. That placed it at #991 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallagher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 23,632 in 2016. That gives Gallagher a modern rank of #250.

What does the Gallagher surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar," derived from Gaelic elements meaning "foreign helper."

What does the Gallagher map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gallagher 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.