NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallaher

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gallchobhair," meaning "descendant of a foreign helper or ally."

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Gallaher surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walthamstow, Low Leyton, South Stoneham and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Waverley and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallaher is 273 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.0%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1901

273 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallaher had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 273 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Gallaher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gallaher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallaher 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 221 #9,630
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 273 #12,409
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 157 #21,201
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 140 #23,231
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 156 #22,886
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Gallahers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walthamstow, Low Leyton, South Stoneham, Govan Combination, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Waverley, Kirklees, West Lindsey and Tameside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
2 South Stoneham Hampshire
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 005 Tendring
2 Waverley 010 Waverley
3 Kirklees 013 Kirklees
4 West Lindsey 005 West Lindsey
5 Tameside 029 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallaher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallaher

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Gallaher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gallaher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gallaher 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

Gallaher 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

Gallaher falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gallaher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gallaher

The surname Gallaher has its origins in Ireland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Gallchobhair, which means "descendant of the foreign-assistance." This name likely referred to an ancestor who provided assistance to foreigners or outsiders.

The name is thought to have originated in County Donegal, a region in the northwest of Ireland. Some early spellings of the name include Gallagher, Gallacher, and Gallocher. These variations reflect the various ways the name was recorded and pronounced by English-speaking officials and scribes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gallaher can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, a collection of Irish administrative records from the late 16th century. In these records, a man named John Gallaher is mentioned as a landholder in County Donegal in 1598.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record that listed households in Ireland. Several Gallaher families are recorded as living in County Donegal during this period.

A notable figure with the surname Gallaher was Sir William Gallaher, a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 17th century. He was born in County Donegal in 1655 and played a role in the Williamite Wars, supporting the ascension of William III to the throne of England.

Another individual of note was Patrick Gallaher, an Irish Catholic priest and author who lived in the early 18th century. He wrote several works on theology and philosophy, including a treatise on the nature of the soul published in 1721.

In the 19th century, the name Gallaher appeared in various records and literature. One example is the novel "The Gallaher Family" by Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, published in 1868. The book is set in County Donegal and features characters with the Gallaher surname.

As the Irish diaspora spread throughout the world, the name Gallaher traveled with them. In the United States, for instance, a notable figure was Nicholas Gallaher, an American politician and soldier who served in the Revolutionary War. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1747 and later became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallaher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallaher 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 69 Gallahers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 69 3.03x
Durham 30 5.25x
Lanarkshire 17 2.74x
Yorkshire 12 0.63x
Essex 11 2.90x
Renfrewshire 8 5.37x
Northumberland 7 2.45x
Derbyshire 6 1.99x
Middlesex 6 0.31x
Worcestershire 6 2.39x
Midlothian 4 1.55x
Anglesey 3 8.81x
Ayrshire 3 2.09x
Hampshire 3 0.76x
Kent 3 0.46x
Surrey 3 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 2 4.71x
Staffordshire 2 0.31x
East Lothian 1 3.93x
Warwickshire 1 0.21x

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 17 Gallahers recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.28x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 17 12.28x
Bishopwearmouth 10 20.38x
Everton 9 12.38x
Glasgow 9 8.16x
Eastwood 8 87.24x
Kirkdale 8 20.86x
Longbenton 7 57.80x
Sunderland 7 69.31x
Barony 6 3.81x
Blackley 6 150.00x
Leyton 6 91.88x
Worcester St Nicholas 6 504.20x
Glossop Dale 5 35.49x
Leyton Low 5 64.85x
Stranton 5 25.97x
Blackburn 4 6.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.86x
Halifax 4 14.31x
Heworth 4 35.49x
Huddersfield 4 14.42x
Livesey 4 100.00x
Oldham 4 5.43x
Rusholme 4 65.79x
Dailly 3 204.08x
Holyhead 3 47.24x
Lambeth 3 1.79x
St Giles 3 84.03x
Toxteth Park 3 3.89x
West Derby 3 4.50x
Annan 2 54.79x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 5.52x
Govan 2 1.30x
Horton In Bradford 2 6.72x
North Meols 2 8.96x
South Stoneham 2 23.42x
St Pancras London 2 1.29x
Wolstanton 2 10.15x
Aighton Bailey 1 90.91x
Catton 1 2000.00x
Foots Cray 1 79.37x
Gillingham 1 7.40x
Hackney London 1 0.93x
Hayes 1 217.39x
Holy Trinity 1 2.18x
Portsea 1 1.30x
Salford 1 1.49x
Sculcoates 1 3.31x
Solihull 1 28.74x
St Gilesin Fields London 1 61.35x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.63x
Stoke Newington London 1 6.68x
Whitechapel London 1 5.28x
Wigan 1 3.14x
Yester 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Catherine 5
Margaret 5
Annie 4
Bridget 4
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Ellen 2
Emmie 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Celia 1
Clara 1
Emma 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hatley 1
Isabella 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Margaretta 1
Maud 1
Rebacca 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
James 11
Thomas 11
Edward 6
Patrick 5
Michael 4
William 4
Peter 3
Robert 3
George 2
Martin 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Bryne 1
Cimmanon 1
Dennis 1
Dominick 1
Frederick 1
Graham 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Joseph 1
Lionel 1
Mathew 1
Owen 1
Pat 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gallaher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallaher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Gallaher surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallaher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Gallaher a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Gallaher surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gallchobhair," meaning "descendant of a foreign helper or ally."

What does the Gallaher map show?

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