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

Costigan, 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 Costigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Costigan in America

Costigan is the 12566th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Costigan surname appeared 2,463 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 Costigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Costigan 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 Costigan

The surname Costigan originates from Ireland, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "O'Cuistighean," which means "descendant of the prudent or wise one." The name was widely found in County Mayo and parts of Connacht.

Costigan is believed to have evolved from various spellings, such as "O'Cuistighean," "O'Cuisdighean," and "O'Cuistighne." The prefix "O'" signifies the family's descent from the Irish clan system.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Costigan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a notable figure named Turlough Costigan, who was a distinguished scholar and poet in the late 16th century.

In the early 18th century, the Costigan family played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. John Costigan (1742-1828), a prominent leader from County Mayo, was actively involved in the uprising against British rule.

Another notable bearer of the Costigan name was John Austin Costigan (1835-1902), an Irish-born Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a crucial role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The name Costigan has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Costigan's Cross, a hamlet in County Mayo, and Costigan's Bridge, a landmark in County Sligo.

Throughout history, several other individuals with the surname Costigan have left their mark in various fields, including:

1. George Purcell Costigan (1835-1913), an Irish barrister and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.
2. John Costigan (1835-1900), an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
3. Michael Costigan (1844-1913), an Irish-born American entrepreneur and real estate developer who played a significant role in the development of Los Angeles.
4. William J. Costigan (1888-1957), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Colorado.
5. John Costigan (1910-2002), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, representing the Labour Party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Costigan

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

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

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

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