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

Dunigan, 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 Dunigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunigan in America

Dunigan is the 8828th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunigan surname appeared 3,711 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 Dunigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunigan 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 Dunigan

The surname Dunigan is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Donnchadha," which means "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh is a compound name formed from the Irish words "donn," meaning "brown," and "cath," meaning "battle."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dunigan can be traced back to the 16th century in County Cork, Ireland. It was commonly found in the area around the town of Doneraile, which was once known as "Dun-na-Gallóglaigh," meaning "the fort of the gallowglasses."

In the 17th century, the Dunigan family played a significant role in the Confederate Wars of Ireland. John Dunigan, born in 1620, was a captain in the Confederate forces and fought against the English Parliamentary army.

During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a prominent member of the Dunigan family was Edmond Dunigan, born in 1595. He was a landowner in County Cork and participated in the uprising against English rule.

The name Dunigan has also been recorded in various historical documents, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. These records mention several members of the Dunigan family being granted land in County Cork.

In the 18th century, Michael Dunigan, born in 1710, was a notable figure in the Irish Catholic community. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the preservation of Catholic traditions during the Penal Laws.

Another notable person with the surname Dunigan was Margaret Dunigan, born in 1785. She was a influential figure in the Irish literary community and was known for her patronage of poets and writers.

The Dunigan family has also left its mark on place names in Ireland. The townland of Dunigans, located in County Cork, is named after the family, reflecting their long-standing presence in the region.

While the name Dunigan has Irish roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration. In the 19th century, many Dunigans left Ireland due to the Great Famine and settled in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunigan

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

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

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

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