# Gallagher (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/gallagher/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish; variant forms Gallager, Gallaher, Galleher, Galligher, Galliher, Gollaher, Golliher.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 69,834 |
| US rank (2010) | 479 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 4,421 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.6% (68,075 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæ.lə.ɡəɹ/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Irish Ó Gallachóir, from Old Irish Ó Gallchobhair, Ó Gallchobhoir, a surname meaning "descendants of Gallchobair".

## Who carries it

Share of people named Gallagher in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 95% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 0.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 1.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Gallagher in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Gallagher

- Gallagher, American stand-up comedian
- Peter Gallagher, American actor
- Aidan Gallagher, American actor
- David Gallagher, American actor
- Paul Gallagher, British Catholic prelate (born 1954)
- John Gallagher, Jr., American actor and musician
- Megan Gallagher, American theater and television actor
- Helen Gallagher, American performance artist
- Vince Gallagher, American rower (1899–1983)
- Jimmy Gallagher, American soccer player (1901–1971)
- Jessica Gallagher, Australian Paralympic alpine skier
- Katy Gallagher, 6th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (born 1970)

and 16 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Gilchrist, Glaser, Glasser, Glazier, Glazer, Gilcrease, Gilkerson, Glaeser.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.