Contents [hide]

Gallaher History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gallaher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

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

Early Origins of the Gallaher family

The surname Gallaher 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 Gallaher family

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

Gallaher Spelling Variations

A name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name Gallaher include Gallagher, Gallacher, Gallaugher, Gallaughor, Gallager and many more.

Early Notables of the Gallaher 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 1545; and Art O'Gallagher, Papal...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gallaher Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gallaher Ranking

In the United States, the name Gallaher is the 5,408^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Gallaher migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Gallaher family came to North America quite early:

Gallaher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Gallaher, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
George Gallaher, who arrived in New York in 1797 2

Gallaher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Simon F Gallaher, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1802 2
Philip Gallaher, who landed in America in 1810 2
Patrick Gallaher, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
Francis Gallaher, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 2
Hugh Gallaher, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1812 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gallaher migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gallaher Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine Gallaher, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
Andrew Gallaher, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
James Gallaher, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
Joseph Gallaher, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
Nancy Gallaher, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834

Gallaher migration to Australia +

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

Gallaher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward Gallaher, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. Edmund Gallaher, (b. 1806), aged 28, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in County Kerry, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 27th July 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Gallaher 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:

Gallaher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Owen Gallaher, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5
Mrs. Gallaher, Scottish settler with 2 children travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Gallaher (post 1700) +

Thomas "Tom" Gallaher (1840-1928), Irish founder of Gallaher Group in 1857, one of the largest cigarette manufacturers in the United Kingdom
David Matthew Gallaher (b. 1975), American comics writer and editor
Joseph W. Gallaher (b. 1826), American businessman and entrepreneur from Moundsville, West Virginia
Brent Christopher Gallaher (b. 1969), American saxophonist
Bill Gallaher, American co-founder of Sharp Gallaher Racing based in Mooresville, North Carolina
Donald Gallaher (1895-1961), American silent film actor who appeared in 25 films between 1903 and 1949
John Gallaher (b. 1965), American poet and assistant professor of English at Northwest Missouri State University
David "Dave" Gallaher (1873-1917), Irish-born, New Zealand rugby union footballer, eponym of The Gallaher Shield and the Dave Gallaher Trophy
Simon Gallaher (b. 1958), Australian singer and actor

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html