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

Corcoran, 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 Corcoran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corcoran in America

Corcoran is the 2044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corcoran surname appeared 17,607 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Corcoran.

We can also compare 2010 data for Corcoran 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 Corcoran

The surname Corcoran originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Corcrain," meaning "descendant of Corcran." The name Corcran itself is derived from the old Irish word "corcar," meaning "purple" or "crimson," suggesting a connection to a person with reddish hair or complexion.

Corcoran is a relatively common name in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 10th or 11th century, during the period when hereditary surnames were becoming more widespread in Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Corcoran can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history compiled by monks in the 12th century. The Annals mention a certain "Corcran" who was killed in a battle in the year 1014.

In the 16th century, the Corcoran family held lands in County Cork, particularly in the area around Ballincollig. A notable member of the family during this period was Dermot Corcoran, who fought alongside the Irish chieftain Hugh O'Neill in the Nine Years' War against English rule in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Corcoran name appears in various historical records, such as the Petty Census of Ireland, which was conducted between 1659 and 1666. This census provides valuable information about the distribution and prevalence of the name during that time.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Corcoran was Michael Corcoran (1827-1863), an Irish-American military officer who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is credited with forming the famous Irish Brigade, which played a significant role in several major battles.

Another notable Corcoran was James A. Corcoran (1820-1889), an Irish-American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court. He was also involved in several high-profile legal cases during his career.

In the 19th century, the name Corcoran also gained prominence in the field of education. Michael Corcoran (1827-1905) was a renowned Irish-American educator who founded several schools and played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic school system in Philadelphia.

Patrick Corcoran (1840-1910) was an Irish-born American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Old Executive Office Building and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which bears his name.

Throughout history, the surname Corcoran has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Ballincollig in County Cork was historically known as "Baile an Chorcranaigh," meaning "the town of the Corcoran family."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corcoran

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

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

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

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