Find out how popular the last name Carrigan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carrigan.

Carrigan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carrigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carrigan in America

Carrigan is the 5529th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carrigan surname appeared 6,290 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Carrigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carrigan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carrigan

The surname Carrigan originates from Ireland and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "carrigan," meaning "rocky land" or "rough terrain." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or a descriptive term referring to the landscape inhabited by the family's earliest ancestors.

The Carrigan surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with records indicating its presence in various parts of Ireland, particularly in the counties of Leitrim, Sligo, and Mayo. The earliest known bearer of this name was Gillebertus Carriganus, mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 1181.

In the 13th century, the Carrigan family held lands in County Leitrim, and their name appears in the Annals of Connacht, an important medieval Irish chronicle. One notable entry mentions Muircheartach Carrigan, a local chieftain who was slain in a battle in 1256.

The surname Carrigan has also been recorded in various spellings throughout history, such as Carrigan, Carragan, Carraghan, and Carigan. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the transition from Gaelic to English spelling conventions.

Among notable individuals bearing the Carrigan surname, one can mention:

1. Sir William Carrigan (1814-1895), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1888 to 1892.

2. Denis Carrigan (1848-1924), an Irish priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Diocese of Ossory and the local folklore of County Kilkenny.

3. John Carrigan (1887-1960), an Irish author and journalist who published several novels and short stories depicting life in rural Ireland.

4. Kathleen Carrigan (1902-1982), an Irish writer and playwright known for her works depicting the struggles of working-class women in Dublin.

5. Michael Carrigan (1920-2000), an Irish artist and painter renowned for his landscapes and seascapes of the west of Ireland.

While the Carrigan surname has its origins in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carrigan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carrigan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carrigan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carrigan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carrigan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carrigan, please contact us.

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