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

Deegan, 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 Deegan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deegan in America

Deegan is the 8962nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deegan surname appeared 3,653 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 Deegan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deegan 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 Deegan

The surname Deegan has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Deegan" or "Ui Dheaghain," which means "descendant of Deaghan." The name Deaghan itself is derived from the Irish word "deagh," meaning "good" or "noble."

The Deegan family is believed to have originated in the ancient territory of Ormond, which comprised parts of modern-day County Tipperary and County Kilkenny. The name is particularly associated with the baronies of Ikerrin and Eliogarty in County Tipperary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deegan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Deegan chieftain named Aodh O'Deegan, who was involved in a conflict in the year 1565.

In the 17th century, the name Deegan appears in several historical records related to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Williamite War in Ireland. Notable individuals from this period include Edmond Deegan, a landowner in County Tipperary whose property was confiscated during the Cromwellian settlement.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Deegan achieved prominence in various fields. One such individual was John Deegan (1768-1853), an Irish military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

Another notable figure was Michael Deegan (1836-1910), an Irish Roman Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in Ireland and served as the President of St. Patrick's College, Thurles.

In the field of literature, Patrick Deegan (1859-1926) was an Irish poet and author who wrote extensively about the landscapes and people of County Tipperary.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Deegan was James Deegan (1879-1953), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 1933 to 1937.

Lastly, Kathleen Deegan (1892-1976) was an Irish-American artist and illustrator known for her work in children's books and magazines during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deegan

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

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

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

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