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Gallagher Family History

Gallagher Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gallchobhair ‘descendant of Gallchobhar’ a personal name based on gall ‘foreign’ + cabhair ‘support’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gallagher family from?

You can see how Gallagher families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gallagher family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gallagher families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,878 Gallagher families living in Lancashire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Gallagher's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Gallagher families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gallagher surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gallagher ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gallagher. 17% of Gallagher men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Gallagher women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gallagher were Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Gallagher | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Gallagher family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 467,000 census records available for the last name Gallagher. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gallagher census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gallagher

Passenger Lists

There are 113,000 immigration records available for the last name Gallagher. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gallagher immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 97,000 military records available for the last name Gallagher. For the veterans among your Gallagher ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gallagher military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gallagher family history

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What is the average Gallagher lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gallagher life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Gallagher in 1940 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gallagher

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gallagher ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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