2000
#8,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,513
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Deegan
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Duiginn, meaning "descendant of Duiginn" (derived from "duige," meaning "dark" or "black").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,889 Americans carry the last name Deegan. That puts it at #9,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deegan 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 Deegan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,134
Census rank
#9,225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,391 bearers of the surname Deegan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deegan
Among Census respondents with the surname Deegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Deegan 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 Deegan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 2,993
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 139
- Two or more races4.0% · 134
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deegan
Deegan 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
#8,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,653
+140 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 343 places
2020
#9,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,391
-262 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,619 | 3,513 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,962 | 3,653 | 1.24 | +140 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 343 places |
| 2020 | #9,225 | 3,391 | 1.13 | -262 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 263 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 Deegan 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 | #8,962 | #9,225 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,653 | 3,391 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.13 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deegan bearers went from 3,653 to 3,391 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,962 to #9,225.
FAQ
Deegan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deegan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,889 living Americans carry the surname Deegan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,134 residents.
How common is Deegan?
Deegan ranks #9,225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,391 people with the surname Deegan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,889), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Deegan.
Has Deegan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deegan went from 3,653 recorded bearers to 3,391. That is a decrease of 262 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,962 to #9,225.
What does the Census say about the background of Deegan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Deegan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (2,993 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deegan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Deegan (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 Deegan mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Duiginn, meaning "descendant of Duiginn" (derived from "duige," meaning "dark" or "black"). 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 Deegan (1.13 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 share the surname Deegan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.