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Show ContentsGallagher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

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The Irish name Gallagher has a long Gaelic heritage to its credit. The original Gaelic form of the name Gallagher is Ó Gallchobhair, derived from the word "gallchobhar," which means "foreign help."

Early Origins of the Gallagher family

The surname Gallagher was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, but claim descent from a warrior named "Gallchobhar" and held lands in the baronies of Raphoe and Tir Hugh. They held a castle at Ballyshannon and at one time also held the castle of Lifford.

The Sept's chiefs were the traditional Marshals in the O'Donnells' military forces from the 14th to 16th centuries. The main branch of the family was based at Ballybeit and Ballynaglack.

Early History of the Gallagher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gallagher research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1547, 1725 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Gallagher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gallagher Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Gallagher family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Gallagher, Gallacher, Gallaugher, Gallaughor, Gallager and many more.

Early Notables of the Gallagher family

Notable among the family name at this time was

  • Bishop Redmund O'Gallagher, The Diocese of Killala, who was imprisoned and banished from the diocese on fraudulent charges; Redmond O'Gallagher, who was appointed Bishop of Killala by Pope Paul III in...
  • James Gallagher (d. 1751), the Irish bishop, was a member of the Ulster sept of O'Galchobhair, anglicized Gallagher. He entered the priesthood of the Roman catholic church, and was, at Drogheda, in No...

Gallagher World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gallagher is the 547th most popular surname with an estimated 52,227 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Gallagher is ranked the 771st most popular surname with an estimated 6,956 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Gallagher is the 334th popular surname with an estimated 10,703 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Gallagher as 294th with 2,066 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Gallagher as 237th with 24,881 people. 5

United States Gallagher migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Gallagher:

Gallagher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Philip Gallagher, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1776 6
Gallagher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Simon Felix Gallagher, aged 45, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 6
  • Edward Gallagher, who landed in America in 1805 6
  • Hugh Gallagher, who arrived in America in 1805 6
  • Owen Gallagher, who arrived in America in 1805 6
  • Michael Gallagher, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Gallagher migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gallagher Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Gallagher, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • Patt Gallagher, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833
  • Patrick Gallagher, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Ezekiel Gallagher, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • John Gallagher, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Gallagher migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gallagher Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Ferguson Gallagher, (b. 1768), aged 25, Irish stock man who was convicted in Donegal, Ireland for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Gallagher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Gallagher, (b. 1794), aged 28, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Kidare, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Michael Gallagher, (Gallaghar), (b. 1785), aged 41, Irish soldier who was convicted in Chennai (Madras), India for life, transported aboard the "Cawdry" in 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Miss Mary Gallagher, (Lipsey), Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Miss Mary Ann Gallagher, (b. 1812), aged 17, Irish nurse girl who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 1st January 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1832 11
  • Mr. Peter Gallagher, (b. 1812), aged 25, Irish labourer who was convicted in County Offaly (King's County), Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in 19th April 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1867 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Gallagher 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:

Gallagher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Gallagher, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1860 13
  • Mrs. Jane Gallagher, (b. 1828), aged 32, Scottish settler from Lanarkshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 14
  • Mr. Patrick Gallagher, (b. 1830), aged 30, Scottish farm labourer from Lanarkshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 14
  • Miss Mary Gallagher, (b. 1857), aged 3, Scottish settler from Lanarkshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 14
  • Mr. John Gallagher, (b. 1840), aged 22, Irish shoemaker, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gallagher (post 1700) +

  • William M. Gallagher (1923-1975), American photographer who won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Photography
  • Harry E. Gallagher Jr. (1932-2024), American politician, Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1972 to 1974
  • Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. (1946-2022), known mononymously as Gallagher, an American comedian who became one of the most recognizable comedic performers of the 1980s who was best known for smashing a watermelon on stage with a wooden sledgehammer which he called the "Sledge-O-Matic"
  • Dennis Joseph Gallagher (1939-2022), American politician, born in Denver, Colorado, Member of the Colorado House of Representatives, from 1970 to 1974 and the Colorado Senate from 1974 to 1994
  • Douglas Eugene "Doug" Gallagher (1940-2017), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played in nine games for the Detroit Tigers in 1962
  • Major-General Philip Edward Gallagher (1897-1976), American Commanding General Fort Gordon, Georgia (1956-1957) 15
  • Kathleen Gallagher, American co-winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting
  • Thomas Gallagher (1850-1930), U.S. Representative from Illinois
  • David Gallagher (b. 1985), American film and television actor
  • Kim Ann Gallagher (1964-2002), American Olympic track & field athlete
  • ... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mrs. Elsie Thelma Gallagher (1908-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Remuera, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 16
  • Mr. Alfred James Gallagher (1906-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Remuera, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 16
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. William Gallagher (d. 1914), British Deck Boy from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 17
  • Mr. Cedric Aubrey Gallagher (1895-1914), Canadian First Class Passenger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 18
  • Mrs. Charlotte Gallagher (1868-1914), née Wools Canadian First Class Passenger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18
Flight TWA 800
  • Miss. Claire Aldona Gallagher (1981-1996), aged 15, from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, USA, American student from Montoursville flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 19
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. O'Dowd Gallagher, British War Correspondent, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 20
HMS Royal Oak
  • John Walter Gallagher (1912-1939), British Leading Stoker with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 21
Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Amy Beth Gallagher (1966-1988), Canadian Student from Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 22
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. George Gallagher, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 23
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Martin Gallagher (d. 1912), aged 29, Irish Third Class passenger from Caltra, Galway who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 24
USS Arizona
  • Mr. William F. Gallagher, American Chief Electrician's Mate working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 25

Suggested Readings for the name Gallagher +

  • The Seeds of the Planter: Our Family Story from 1635 to 1975 by Geraldine D. Gallagher.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 13th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cawdry
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Philip Gallagher. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gallagher/Philip_Edward/USA.html
  16. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  17. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  18. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  19. The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm
  20. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  21. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  22. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
  23. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  24. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  25. 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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