Irish (Cavan): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gealagáin ‘descendant of Gealagán’ a personal name from a double diminutive of geal ‘bright white’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022
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Where is the Galligan family from?
You can see how Galligan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Galligan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Galligan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 60 Galligan families living in Lancashire. This was about 57% of all the recorded Galligan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Galligan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Galligan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
In 1939, Carpenter joiner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Galligan. 43% of Galligan men worked as a Carpenter joiner and 82% of Galligan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Galligan were Miner and Domestic Servant. .
Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Galligan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Galligan in 1946 was 45, and 77 in 2004.