2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gegan
A locational surname derived from the place name Gegan in Cornwall, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Gegan. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gegan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Gegan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gegan
The surname Gegan has its origins in Ireland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "geagan," meaning "small branch" or "twig." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person living near a wooded area or someone involved in forestry or woodworking.
One of the earliest known records of the name Gegan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1177, a man named Gillamochoinne Gegan is mentioned as a witness to a land grant in County Meath.
The Gegan surname is particularly prevalent in counties Meath, Westmeath, and Longford, indicating that these areas were likely the original strongholds of the family. The name also appears in various forms, such as Gegan, Geegan, and Geggan, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in the past.
Interestingly, the name Gegan is associated with a few notable historical figures. One such individual was John Gegan, born in County Westmeath in the late 16th century. He was a prominent Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on religious matters during the tumultuous period of the English Reformation.
Another noteworthy Gegan was Patrick Gegan, who lived in the 18th century and served as a member of the Irish Parliament, representing the borough of Belturbet in County Cavan. His political career coincided with the era of the Penal Laws, which imposed significant restrictions on Irish Catholics.
In the realm of literature, James Gegan (1804-1876) was an Irish poet and playwright from County Longford. His works, such as "The Exile's Return" and "The Irish Bride," reflected the cultural and social landscape of 19th century Ireland.
Moving into the 20th century, Edward Gegan (1900-1967) was a prominent Irish politician and trade unionist. He served as a member of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish parliament) and played a significant role in the labor movement, advocating for workers' rights.
Finally, the name Gegan is also linked to various place names across Ireland, such as Geganstown in County Meath and Geganville in County Westmeath, further solidifying the surname's deep roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gegan
Among Census respondents with the surname Gegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gegan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gegan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gegan
Gegan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-19 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,308 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-25 bearers (-19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 21,308 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-19.7%) | Down 21,707 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gegan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #133,048 | #154,755 | -16.3% |
| Count | 127 | 102 | -19.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gegan bearers went from 127 to 102 (-19.7% change). The surname moved down 21,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #154,755.
FAQ
Gegan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gegan?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Gegan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Gegan?
Gegan ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Gegan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gegan.
Has Gegan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gegan went from 127 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 25 (-19.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Gegan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gegan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gegan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (10.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gegan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gegan mean?
A locational surname derived from the place name Gegan in Cornwall, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gegan (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Gegan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.