Gallaher
An Irish surname, usually a simplified spelling of Gallagher, from Gaelic roots tied to “foreign help” or “foreign ally.”
The #7,885 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,546 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gallaher is generally treated as a variant spelling of Gallagher. The older Gaelic form is usually given as Ó Gallchobhair, meaning descendant of Gallchobhar. The personal name Gallchobhar is commonly explained as a compound of gall, “foreigner” or “stranger,” and cobhar, “help,” so the sense is roughly “foreign help” or “helping foreigner.”
History
This surname is especially associated with Ireland, and later spelling variation produced forms such as Gallagher, Gallaher, and related spellings. In the excerpts provided, 20th-century Irish onomastic sources list Gallaher alongside Gallagher as a recognized variant. The spelling is now less common than Gallagher but remains established in Irish and Irish-American usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Gaelic surname has generated a wide cluster of spellings, and Gallaher is one of the simpler anglicized forms.
From the historical record
“0 ^AllcobAijA, O'Gallagher, Gallagher, Gallaher, Gallog- her, Gollagher, etc. 0 SaIIcij, Gallahue. C 5AllcubAi|i, O'Gallagher,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames