Given name & surname
Gallagher
“an eager helper”
Gallagher is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “an eager helper.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “an eager helper.”
Where it comes from
Gallagher comes from Irish, and ultimately from Old Irish.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From Irish Ó Gallachóir, from Old Irish Ó Gallchobhair.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1982. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gallagher through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 21
- 21 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 6 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 105 as a first name in 2020; 67,066 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gallagher’s family of names
Gallagher has a related form in Gallagar. Gallagher has a related form in Gallager. Gallagher has a related form in Gallaghar.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Gallagher, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alaster
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Lawler
“a soft-spoken man; one who mutters”
>99% boys
Alastor
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Allistair
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Lonan
“resembling a cloud”
>99% boys
Faolan
“resembling a little wolf”
>99% boys
Banning
“a blonde-haired child”
>99% boys
McGregor
“the son of Gregor”
>99% boys