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

Gaughan, 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 Gaughan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaughan in America

Gaughan is the 9496th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaughan surname appeared 3,423 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 Gaughan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaughan 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 Gaughan

The surname Gaughan is of Irish origin, and it is believed to have originated in County Westmeath, Ireland, in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic personal name "Geachan," which means "the little bright one" or "the shining one."

The earliest recorded instance of the name Gaughan dates back to the 16th century, when it was spelled as "Geaughane" or "Geaghan." These early spellings reflect the Gaelic pronunciation of the name. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "Gaughan."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Gaughan can be found in the Petty's Census of Ireland, conducted in 1659. This census recorded several Gaughan families living in County Westmeath. The name was also mentioned in the Irish Chancery Rolls of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Gaughan family was well-established in County Westmeath, particularly in the baronies of Rathconrath and Corkaree. Some notable Gaughans from this period include John Gaughan (1700-1785), a landowner and merchant in Mullingar, and Patrick Gaughan (1725-1798), a prominent Catholic activist who fought for the rights of Irish Catholics during the Penal Laws.

As the Gaughan family spread across Ireland, the name also appeared in various place names, such as Gaughanstown in County Westmeath and Gaughansbeg in County Laois. These place names reflect the influence and presence of the Gaughan family in different parts of Ireland.

In the 19th century, several Gaughans achieved notable positions and contributed to various fields. For example, James Gaughan (1815-1891) was a prominent Catholic priest and educator who served as the President of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. John Gaughan (1820-1895) was an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, from 1873 to 1875.

Other notable Gaughans include Michael Gaughan (1848-1913), an Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament for County Leitrim, and Edward Gaughan (1856-1935), an Irish-American judge who served on the New York Supreme Court.

Throughout its history, the surname Gaughan has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, and it continues to be a part of the rich cultural heritage of Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaughan

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

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

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

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