NameCensus.

UK surname

Kilgallon

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Coillgheallóg" meaning someone living by the bright wood.

In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Kilgallon surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 815, ranked #6,804, up from #21,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, St. Helens and Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kilgallon is 840 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 870.2%.

1881 census count

84

Ranked #21,690

Modern count

815

2016, ranked #6,804

Peak year

2010

840 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kilgallon had 84 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 815 in 2016, ranked #6,804.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kilgallon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kilgallon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kilgallon 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 84 #21,690
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 224 #13,914
1997 modern 750 #6,883
1998 modern 775 #6,934
1999 modern 785 #6,907
2000 modern 786 #6,873
2001 modern 781 #6,771
2002 modern 806 #6,737
2003 modern 766 #6,894
2004 modern 777 #6,829
2005 modern 777 #6,756
2006 modern 798 #6,644
2007 modern 783 #6,812
2008 modern 795 #6,786
2009 modern 825 #6,713
2010 modern 840 #6,756
2011 modern 836 #6,699
2012 modern 809 #6,773
2013 modern 820 #6,801
2014 modern 838 #6,737
2015 modern 824 #6,769
2016 modern 815 #6,804

Geography

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Where Kilgallons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Liverpool, Bradford and Kelloe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, St. Helens, Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun and Blackpool. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Kelloe Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 005 South Kesteven
2 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
3 Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun West Lothian
4 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
5 Blackpool 019 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kilgallon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kilgallon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kilgallon, 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 Kilgallon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Kilgallon 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kilgallon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kilgallon is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kilgallon 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 Kilgallon 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 Kilgallon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kilgallon

The surname Kilgallon has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic words "cill" meaning church and "gallóglach" meaning a foreign soldier or mercenary. The name likely originated in Connacht, a western province of Ireland, where many of these hired soldiers or mercenaries settled.

In medieval times, the Kilgallons were part of the gallowglass, a class of elite mercenary warriors who were often employed by Irish clan chiefs and Anglo-Norman lords. The earliest recorded mention of the name Kilgallon can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the 14th century.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Rory Kilgallon, a gallowglass leader who served under the O'Donnell clan in the late 15th century. He was known for his military prowess and played a significant role in the clan's conflicts with neighboring clans.

Another prominent figure was Felim Kilgallon, who lived in the 16th century and was a member of the gallowglass troops serving under the O'Neill clan. He is mentioned in historical records for his participation in the Nine Years' War against English forces in Ireland.

In the 17th century, the Kilgallon surname appears in various records, including the Petty Census of Ireland, which documented landowners and their holdings. One notable entry is that of Edmond Kilgallon, who held lands in County Sligo.

Later, in the 18th century, John Kilgallon, a Catholic landowner from County Mayo, found himself embroiled in legal disputes over land ownership and inheritance rights, as documented in court records from that period.

As the centuries passed, the Kilgallon surname spread beyond its origins in Connacht, with bearers of the name appearing in various parts of Ireland and eventually migrating to other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kilgallon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kilgallon 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 18 Kilgallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 18 1.85x
Yorkshire 18 2.22x
Staffordshire 17 6.15x
Northumberland 15 12.31x
Durham 8 3.28x
Cheshire 4 2.21x
Lanarkshire 2 0.75x
Warwickshire 2 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walsall Foreign in Staffordshire leads with 11 Kilgallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.03x.

Place Total Index
Walsall Foreign 11 77.03x
Bradford 9 45.80x
Wallsend 8 206.72x
Garston 7 243.90x
Holywell 7 1111.11x
Wingate 7 419.16x
Haslingden 6 149.25x
Heckmondwike 5 191.57x
Cheadle 3 86.96x
Ince In Makerfield 3 66.37x
Wolverhampton 3 14.11x
Dewsbury 2 24.01x
Radcliffe 2 42.64x
Rugby 2 71.68x
Anderston 1 1428.57x
Barony 1 1.49x
Brierton 1 10000.00x
Church Minshull 1 909.09x
Cundall Cum Leckby 1 2000.00x
Hickleton 1 2500.00x
Smallthorne 1 97.09x
Stafford St Mary 1 25.58x
Wednesbury 1 14.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ann 5
Bridget 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Bridgett 2
Ellen 2
Margaret 2
Margret 2
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Kate 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
Thomas 7
Patrick 6
James 4
Michael 4
Micheal 4
Edward 3
Martin 3
William 3
B. 1
Daniel 1
Jas. 1
Pat 1

FAQ

Kilgallon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kilgallon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Kilgallon surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kilgallon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 815 in 2016. That gives Kilgallon a modern rank of #6,804.

What does the Kilgallon surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Coillgheallóg" meaning someone living by the bright wood.

What does the Kilgallon map show?

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