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

Duggan, 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 Duggan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Duggan in America

Duggan is the 2928th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Duggan surname appeared 12,237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Duggan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Duggan 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 Duggan

The surname Duggan originates from Ireland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Duagáin, meaning "descendant of Duagán." Duagán was a personal name derived from the Irish word "dua," meaning "swarthy" or "dark-featured."

The name has roots in County Mayo, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Tomás Ó Duagáin, a scribe and poet who lived in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the reign of Henry VIII. This suggests that the Duggans were a prominent family during this period.

The name is also associated with the Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Duagáin, who led a rebellion against English rule in County Mayo in the late 16th century. His descendants continued to hold significant lands in the area until the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 17th century.

One notable bearer of the name was Diarmaid Ó Duagáin, a 17th-century Irish poet and soldier who fought in the Confederate Wars. He is remembered for his vivid descriptions of the Battle of Benburb in 1646.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various parish records and land surveys, indicating the family's continued presence in Mayo and other parts of Connacht.

Other notable individuals with the surname Duggan include:

1. William Duggan (1805-1868), an Irish-born Australian explorer and surveyor.
2. Jeremiah Duggan (1897-1963), an Irish playwright and novelist.
3. Maurice Duggan (1922-1976), a New Zealand writer and novelist.
4. Michael Duggan (born 1958), an Irish former hurler who played for Kilkenny.
5. Mike Duggan (born 1958), the current Mayor of Detroit, Michigan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Duggan

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

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

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

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