Meaning and History of the Surname Callaghan

Meaning and History of the Surname Callaghan The Callaghan surname is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Ceallagchin, meaning descendant of Ceallanchn. The O prefix indicates descendant of, while Ceallagchin is a diminutive of Ceallach, a given name of uncertain origin. The most widely accepted meaning is bright-headed, from the Gaelic cen, meaning head and lach, meaning light Other possibilities include: lover of churches, from ceall, meaning churchfrom the Old Irish ceallach, meaning contention, strifeFrom ciallach, meaning prudent, judicious Surname Origin:  Irish Alternate Surname Spellings:  OCALLAGHAN, CALLAHAN, CALLACHAN, CEALLACHAIN, CELLACHAN, CEALLAGHAN, CELLACHAIN, OCALLAGHAN, OCALLAHAN, KEELAGHAN Famous People with the Surname CALLAGHAN Fr Richard Callaghan - 18th century Irish Jesuit educationalistEdmund Bailey OCallaghan - Irish doctor and journalistJohn Cornelius OCallaghan - Irish historian and writerSir Francis OCallaghan - Irish civil engineerJames Callaghan  - UK Prime Minister, 1976–79Dr. Patrick Pat  OCallaghan - considered one of Irelands greatest athletes; Olympic gold medalist Where is the CALLAGHAN  Surname Most Commonly Found? Forebears identifies the  Callaghan  surname as being most common in Ireland, where it ranks 112th in the nation. It is also fairly common in Northern Ireland (ranked 433rd), Scotland (541st), Australia (593rd), Wales (653rd), New Zealand (657th) and England (658th). Within Ireland, Callaghan is the most common in Cork. The OCallaghan variant ranks just behind Callaghan in Ireland, coming in as number 113. WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the Callaghan surname as more common in Donegal and the other northern Irish counties. Genealogy Resources for the Surname CALLAGHAN Common Surnames of IrelandDiscover the meaning of your Irish last name, and learn where in Ireland these Irish surnames are most commonly found Callaghan  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Callaghan  family crest or coat of arms for the Callaghan surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. OCallaghan/Callaghan/Callahan/Keelaghan DNA ProjectIndividuals with the Callaghan surname and variations are invited to join this project dedicated to combining the results of DNA testing with genealogy research to identify various Callaghan and OCallaghan family lines. Callaghan Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Callaghan surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Callaghan query. DistantCousin.com - CALLAGHAN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Callaghan. GeneaNet - Callaghan  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Callaghan  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Callaghan  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Callaghan  from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.