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

Coogan, 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 Coogan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coogan in America

Coogan is the 11463rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coogan surname appeared 2,748 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Coogan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coogan 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 Coogan

The surname Coogan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cuogán," which means "little hunk" or "little pet." It is believed to have originated in County Cavan, located in the northern part of Ireland, during the 8th or 9th century.

The name Coogan can be traced back to the ancient Irish clan of Ó Cuogáin, who were prominent landowners in the Cavan region. The earliest known written record of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a notable figure named Gilla-Pátraic Ó Cuogáin in the year 1216.

In the 14th century, the Coogan family held significant influence and power in the Barony of Tullyhaw, which was part of the ancient territory of Breifne. The Coogans were known for their loyalty to the O'Reilly clan, who were the ruling family of East Breifne (modern-day County Cavan).

One of the earliest known Coogans was Sir Phelim Coogan (c. 1590-1653), an Irish soldier and rebel who played a prominent role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. He was a member of the Irish Catholic gentry and led the forces of Ulster in the uprising against English rule.

Another notable figure with the Coogan surname was William Coogan (1832-1922), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He emigrated to the United States in the 1850s and became a successful entrepreneur in the brewing industry. Coogan founded the William Coogan & Co. Brewery in Detroit, Michigan.

In the 19th century, the surname Coogan also gained recognition through the work of John Coogan (1827-1894), an Irish-American politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of Missouri from 1865 to 1867.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Coogan was Jackie Coogan (1914-1984), an American actor and comedian who rose to fame as a child star in the 1920s. He is best remembered for his iconic role as Uncle Fester in the TV series "The Addams Family."

The Coogan surname has maintained a strong presence in Ireland, particularly in Counties Cavan and Monaghan, where many descendants of the original Ó Cuogáin clan still reside. Over time, various spelling variations have emerged, such as Cookan, Cooghan, and Cogan, reflecting regional dialects and anglicization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coogan

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

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 Coogan 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 Coogan 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 Coogan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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