2000
#2,980
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.12
Uncommon Last name
Corrigan
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Corragáin," meaning "descendant of Corragán" (a diminutive of "corrac," meaning "spear").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,737 Americans carry the last name Corrigan. That puts it at #3,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,910 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corrigan 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 Corrigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,910
Census rank
#3,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,107 bearers of the surname Corrigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corrigan
The surname Corrigan has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O'Corraidhin," which means "descendant of Corraidhin." Corraidhin itself is derived from the Irish word "corrach," meaning "speckled" or "freckled."
The name is believed to have originated in County Mayo, where the Corrigan clan was based. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, appearing in various medieval manuscripts and records from the region.
One notable historical reference involving the Corrigan surname is its mention in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals record a notable figure named Muircheartach O'Corraidhin, who was a chief of the Corrigan clan in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Corrigan began to spread beyond County Mayo as the clan members migrated to other parts of Ireland. This led to variations in the spelling, such as Corrigan, Corregan, and Corrigan.
Throughout history, several individuals with the Corrigan surname have made significant contributions in various fields. One notable figure was Sir Dominick Corrigan (1802-1880), an Irish physician who made important discoveries in the field of cardiovascular medicine, including the description of a specific heart murmur now known as the "Corrigan Pulse."
Another prominent Corrigan was Michael Corrigan (1839-1892), an Irish-American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of New York from 1885 until his death.
In the literary world, Mathew Corrigan (1839-1888) was an Irish-American poet and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish nationalism and the struggle for independence.
Sir Dominic Joseph Corrigan (1802-1880), mentioned earlier, was not only a renowned physician but also a prominent advocate for medical education reform in Ireland.
Lastly, John Corrigan (1930-2017) was an American historian and author who specialized in the study of religion and violence, particularly in the context of the American South.
The Corrigan surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with notable individuals bearing the name making significant contributions across various domains throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corrigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Corrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Corrigan 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 Corrigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 10,264
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 397
- Two or more races2.5% · 274
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 88
- Black or African American0.6% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corrigan
Corrigan 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
#3,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,396
+279 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 188 places
2020
#3,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,107
-289 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,980 | 11,117 | 4.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,168 | 11,396 | 3.86 | +279 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 188 places |
| 2020 | #3,173 | 11,107 | 3.72 | -289 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5 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 Corrigan 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 | #3,168 | #3,173 | -0.2% |
| Count | 11,396 | 11,107 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.86 | 3.72 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corrigan bearers went from 11,396 to 11,107 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,168 to #3,173.
FAQ
Corrigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corrigan?
Name Census estimates that about 12,737 living Americans carry the surname Corrigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,910 residents.
How common is Corrigan?
Corrigan ranks #3,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,107 people with the surname Corrigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Corrigan.
Has Corrigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corrigan went from 11,396 recorded bearers to 11,107. That is a decrease of 289 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,168 to #3,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Corrigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Corrigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (10,264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corrigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Corrigan (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 Corrigan mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Corragáin," meaning "descendant of Corragán" (a diminutive of "corrac," meaning "spear"). 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 Corrigan (3.72 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 Corrigan?
Find out how many people have the surname Corrigan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.