Show ContentsCallaghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Ireland
Callaghan Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Callaghan

What does the name Callaghan mean?

Before Irish names were translated into English, Callaghan had a Gaelic form of Ó Ceallachain, possibly from "ceallach", which means "strife". The family is descended from Ceallachan (Callaghan), the 10th century King of Munster from whom their surname is derived, and as such, the name Callaghan is a patronymic name. 1

Early Origins of the Callaghan family

The surname Callaghan was first found in Munster. The earliest mention of the name Callaghan placed them in the barony of Kinlea, in County Cork, yet the family lost most of their original lands in the barony of Kinelea during the Anglo-Norman Conquest under Strongbow. They relocated to an area near Mallow, in the north of the county, and remained there until forced off their lands once again during the Cromwellian Invasion of the 17th century.

The head family migrated to the east of County Clare and flourished, giving their name to the village of Callaghan's Mills. The resumption of the often-discarded prefix "O" has been widespread during the late twentieth century, but in the early twentieth century, Callaghans greatly outnumbered O'Callaghans, but such is no longer the case. The O'Callaghans are one of the few Irish families to still have a chief, certified by the Genealogical Office. 2

Early History of the Callaghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Callaghan research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1605, 1640, 1654, 1738, 1797, 1807, 1839, 1883 and 1909 are included under the topic Early Callaghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callaghan Spelling Variations

Within archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Callaghan. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Callaghan, Callahan, O'Callaghan, O'Callahan, Calahan, Cellaghan, Kalahan, Kallaghan, Kallahan, O'Kallaghan, Kellaghan, Kelleghan, Kellahan, Kelahan, Ceilahan, Ceilaghan, Callachan, Calachan, Callagan, Calagan, Kelagan, Callighan and many more.

Early Notables of the Callaghan family

  • Father Richard Callaghan (1738-1807), Jesuit educationist
  • Edmund Callaghan (1797-1883), Irish historian
  • Abbé John O'Callaghan (1605-1654), prominent Jansenist in France
  • Sir Francis O'Callaghan (1839-1909), Irish engineer

Callaghan World Ranking

the United States, the name Callaghan is the 4,560th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Callaghan is ranked the 646th most popular surname with an estimated 6,027 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Callaghan is the 666th popular surname with an estimated 1,059 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Callaghan as 640th with 10,288 people. 6

Callaghan migration to the United States +

North America accepted thousands of Irish immigrants during the 19th century as their homeland suffered under foreign imperialistic rule. Although settlers from the early portion of the century came to North America by choice in search of land, by far the largest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Many of these Irish families left the country destitute and in some cases suffering from disease. However, those who survived the long ocean voyage were especially vital to the development of industry in the United States and what would become known as Canada. Research of immigration and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the name Callaghan:

Callaghan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Turance Callaghan, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 7
  • John Callaghan, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764
  • James Callaghan who settled in America in 1768
  • James Callaghan, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772
  • Mathew Callaghan, who arrived in New York in 1796 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Callaghan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anthony Callaghan, aged 17, who arrived in New York, NY in 1801 7
  • Jeremiah Callaghan, who landed in New York in 1801 7
  • Mary Callaghan, aged 14, who landed in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1803 7
  • Neal Callaghan, aged 19, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 7
  • Nicholas Callaghan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1811 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Callaghan migration to Canada +

Callaghan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Martin Callaghan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1816
  • James Callaghan, who arrived in Halifax or New York in 1816
  • Michael Callaghan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
  • Patrick Callaghan, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
  • Hannah Callaghan, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Callaghan migration to Australia +

Callaghan Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Michael Callaghan, Irish settler who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for political prisoner, transported aboard the  "Friendship" on 24th August 1799, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Nicholas Callaghan, Irish settler who was convicted in Ireland for life for stealing, transported aboard the  "Friendship" on 24th August 1799, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Callaghan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Callaghan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Callaghan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Callaghan, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Anna Watson
  • Mr. William Callaghan, (b. 1824), aged 35, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Regina" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1859 12
  • Mrs. Sarah Callaghan, (b. 1827), aged 32, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Regina" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1859 12
  • Mr. John Callaghan, (b. 1860), aged 4 months, Irish settler from County Cork travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 12
  • Mr. Patrick Callaghan, (b. 1835), aged 25, Irish farm labourer from County Cork travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Callaghan (post 1700) +

  • Rear Admiral Daniel Judson Callaghan (1890-1942), United States Navy officer awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, eponym of the USS Callaghan (DD-792), a Fletcher-class destroyer
  • Sheila Callaghan (b. 1973), American playwright
  • John T. Callaghan, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Vermont, 1932 13
  • James J. Callaghan, American politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1883-85, 1887-89 14
  • J. P. Callaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1920 14
  • J. Christopher Callaghan, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 2008 14
  • Elizabeth M. Callaghan, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 2008 14
  • Charles E. Callaghan, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Rochester, Minnesota, 1898-1911 14
  • Bryan V. Callaghan Jr., American politician, Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, 1885-92, 1897-99, 1905-12 14
  • ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. George Callaghan, British Cook, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 14
  • Mr. Joseph Callaghan (1878-1917), British Petty Officer from Durham, who was aboard the ship "HMS Vanguard" when she exploded in the Scapa Flow off the Orkney Islands, Scotland on 9th July 1917
  • Mr. James Thomas Callaghan, American Boatswain's Mate Second Class from Colorado, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 15
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  15. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html

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