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

Dugan, 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 Dugan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dugan in America

Dugan is the 1679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dugan surname appeared 21,455 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Dugan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dugan 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 Dugan

The surname Dugan has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Dubhagain, which means "descendant of the black one" or "descendant of the dark-complexioned one". The name is derived from the Irish word "dubh", meaning black or dark, and the diminutive suffix "agan".

The Dugans were originally a sept or clan located in County Tyrone, in the northern part of Ireland. They were among the principal families of the region and held significant influence and power in the area. The name can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards, including the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dugan appears in the 14th century, with the mention of a Muircheartach O'Dubhagain, who was a renowned poet and historian in Ulster. He is known for his work, the "Topographical Poem", which provides a detailed description of Ireland at the time.

In the 16th century, the Dugans were involved in the Nine Years' War (1593-1603), a major conflict between the Irish chieftains and the English forces in Ireland. Niall O'Dugan, a member of the clan, fought alongside the Irish rebels during this time.

Another notable figure in history bearing the name Dugan was Patrick Dugan, a Catholic priest and Irish patriot who lived in the late 18th century. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and served as a chaplain to the United Irishmen.

As the name spread beyond Ireland, it found its way to various parts of the world, including Scotland, England, and eventually, North America. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was in the 17th century, with the arrival of James Dugan, who settled in Maryland in 1673.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dugan include Michael Dugan (1828-1903), an American politician and Union Army officer during the American Civil War, and Michael Dugan (1937-2023), a former United States Air Force officer who served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs during the Gulf War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dugan

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

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

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

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