Languages of New York City Map

Site Details

Gaeilge

Irish

Red Hook

Northern Europe

Ireland

United Kingdom Celtic

Census

Irish immigration to New York began early in the history of the city, accelerating dramatically during the mid-19th century during the Famine. During this period, a significant percentage of Irish New Yorkers came from Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas in western Ireland, meaning that tens of thousands likely would have spoken the language, though direct evidence is fragmentary until significant publishing and teaching efforts began a generation later in the 1870s. Analysis of the 1910 census by the Irish Speakers and the Empire City project found that Irish speakers still lived all over, but with strong concentrations on the West Side near what is today Chelsea. Many significant figures and events in modern Irish history have New York connections, from Eamon de Valera (born in Manhattan) to John Kilgallon (the "Rockaway Rebel" who joined the Easter Rising). Read more here.

fter Manhattan, Brooklyn (especially near the Navy Yard) became the next major area of Irish settlement in the mid-late 19th century. The first newspaper ever printed in Irish, An Gaodhal, was launched in Brooklyn in 1881 in what is today the Cobble Hill area. At the time, large sections of Brooklyn (Park Slope, Windsor Terrace etc.) had major Irish concentrations that likely included tens of thousands of Irish speakers. Even later there were pockets: from the 1930s to the 1950s, for example, the area of St. Teresa's parish in Crown Heights and Flatbush drew in many Irish speakers originally from Donegal. Today, one area to the south that retains a strong Irish-American concentration is Gerritsen Beach. In recent years, some of those seek to carry on and revive the language have gathered at Rocky Sullivan's bar in Red Hook.

Note that the language above may be used throughout the New York area — this is just one significant site.

Search Explore Data Census Info

Language	Endonym	World Region	Country	Global Speakers	Language Family	Location	Size	Status

Abakuá	Abakuá	Caribbean	Cuba			Lower East Side	Smallest	Liturgical
Abaza	Абаза	Western Asia	Turkey Russia	49,800	Abkhaz-Adyge	Wayne (NJ)	Smallest	Residential
Abruzzese	Abbruzzésə	Southern Europe	Italy		Indo-European	Astoria	Small	Residential
Abruzzese	Abbruzzésə	Southern Europe	Italy		Indo-European	Little Italy	Small	Historical
Acehnese	Bahsa Acèh	Southeastern Asia	Indonesia	3,500,000	Austronesian	Astoria	Smallest	Community
Acehnese	Bahsa Acèh	Southeastern Asia	Indonesia	3,500,000	Austronesian	Elmhurst	Smallest	Residential
Adjoukrou	Mɔjukru	Western Africa	Ivory Coast	140,000	Atlantic-Congo	Concourse	Smallest	Residential
Adyghe	К\|ахыбзэ	Western Asia	Turkey Russia	117,500	Abkhaz-Adyge	Wayne (NJ)	Small	Residential
Afenmai	Afenmai	Western Africa	Nigeria	270,000	Atlantic-Congo	Castle Hill	Smallest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Bedford-Stuyvesant	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Newark (NJ)	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Clifton	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Hollis	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Edenwald	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Central Harlem	Largest	Residential
African-American English	Black English	Northern America	United States	45,109,521	Indo-European	Hempstead (NY)	Large	Residential
Afrikaans	Afrikaans	Southern Africa	South Africa Zimbabwe	17,543,580	Indo-European	Murray Hill	Small	Community
Akan	Akan	Western Africa	Ghana	9,231,300	Atlantic-Congo	Flatbush	Small	Residential
Akan	Akan	Western Africa	Ghana	9,231,300	Atlantic-Congo	Shore Acres	Small	Residential
Akan	Akan	Western Africa	Ghana	9,231,300	Atlantic-Congo	University Heights	Large	Residential