2000
#13,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,994
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Colligan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Ceallachain," meaning "descendant of Ceallachán," a personal name meaning "bright-headed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,168 Americans carry the last name Colligan. That puts it at #15,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colligan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Colligan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,097
Census rank
#15,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,891 bearers of the surname Colligan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colligan
The surname Colligan is of Irish origin and is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, possibly as early as the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "coll" meaning "hazel tree" and "gan" meaning "without," suggesting it may have been a descriptive name for someone living near or in an area without hazel trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of public records from the 16th century. In these records, a John Colligan is mentioned as having received a grant of land in County Westmeath, Ireland, in 1586.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. This work mentions a Dermot Colligan who was involved in a skirmish in County Sligo in the year 1495.
The Colligans were particularly prominent in County Mayo, where the name is believed to have originated. One notable figure was Patrick Colligan, a Catholic priest and historian who lived from 1764 to 1846. He wrote extensively on the history and antiquities of County Mayo.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Colligan family settled in County Tipperary. A member of this branch, Thomas Colligan (1765-1842), was a successful merchant and landowner. He is recorded as having donated funds for the construction of a Catholic church in the town of Clonmel.
Another notable individual with the surname Colligan was John Colligan (1829-1899), a prominent Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century and became a successful merchant in New York City, amassing a considerable fortune.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colligan
Among Census respondents with the surname Colligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Colligan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Colligan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,701
- Black or African American3.3% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 56
- Two or more races2.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colligan
Colligan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,986
-8 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,009 places
2020
#15,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,891
-95 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,893 | 1,994 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,902 | 1,986 | 0.67 | -8 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 1,009 places |
| 2020 | #15,001 | 1,891 | 0.63 | -95 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 99 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Colligan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,902 | #15,001 | -0.7% |
| Count | 1,986 | 1,891 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colligan bearers went from 1,986 to 1,891 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,902 to #15,001.
FAQ
Colligan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colligan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,168 living Americans carry the surname Colligan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,097 residents.
How common is Colligan?
Colligan ranks #15,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,891 people with the surname Colligan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Colligan.
Has Colligan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colligan went from 1,986 recorded bearers to 1,891. That is a decrease of 95 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,902 to #15,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Colligan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Colligan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colligan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Black (3.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Colligan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Colligan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Ceallachain," meaning "descendant of Ceallachán," a personal name meaning "bright-headed." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Colligan (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Colligan?
You can see how many people are called Colligan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.