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

Egan, 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 Egan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Egan in America

Egan is the 1561st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Egan surname appeared 23,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Egan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Egan 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 Egan

The surname Egan has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged as a variant of the Gaelic name Ó hAodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán." Aodhagán itself is a diminutive form of the name Aodh, meaning "fire."

The Egan surname is most closely associated with County Offaly and County Tipperary, where it has been present since the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic name, indicating a family's descent from a particular ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Egan name 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 an individual named Conchobhar Ó hAodhagáin, who was the Chief of Ui Fiachrach in County Sligo, in the year 1182.

In the 16th century, the Egan family was prominent in County Offaly, where they held lands in the baronies of Geashill and Philipstown. Notable members from this period include Terence Egan, a member of the Irish Parliament in 1585, and William Egan, who was appointed Sheriff of County Offaly in 1596.

During the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, several Egans played significant roles, including John Egan, who served as a captain in the Confederate Catholic forces, and Rory Egan, a prominent landowner in County Offaly who supported the Catholic cause.

In the 18th century, Patrick Egan (1670-1759) was a renowned historian and genealogist from County Offaly, who compiled a detailed account of the Egan family's history and lineage.

Another notable figure was John Egan (1784-1858), a Catholic priest and educator from County Tipperary, who played a key role in establishing primary schools and promoting education in his local community.

As the Egan name spread throughout Ireland and beyond, it has been associated with various notable individuals, including the American writer and activist Terry Egan (1939-2019), and the Australian rugby league player and coach Kevin Egan (born 1957).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Egan

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

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

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

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