2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ghegan
A surname likely derived from an Irish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ghegan. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ghegan 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ghegan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ghegan
The surname GHEGAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "geagan," which means "branch" or "twig," suggesting a possible connection to a specific location or occupation related to forestry or woodlands.
One of the earliest documented instances of the GHEGAN surname can be found in the Fiants of Ireland, which were official records of royal pardons and land grants during the reigns of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs. In a patent roll from 1604, a reference is made to a "Donough Ghegan," who was granted lands in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
During the 17th century, the name appears to have been concentrated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry. In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which recorded households subject to a tax based on the number of hearths (fireplaces) in their residences, several families with the GHEGAN surname are listed in these regions.
One notable figure bearing the GHEGAN name was Patrick Ghegan (c. 1625-1692), an Irish Catholic priest and historian from County Fermanagh. He wrote an account of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which provided a valuable contemporary perspective on the events of that turbulent period in Irish history.
In the 18th century, the GHEGAN surname continued to be found in the northern counties of Ireland, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. For instance, John Ghegan (1725-1798), a farmer and landowner from County Tyrone, played a significant role in the development of agricultural practices in his region.
As the centuries progressed, members of the GHEGAN family began to spread beyond Ireland, with some emigrating to other parts of the British Isles and further afield to North America and other regions. One notable example is William Ghegan (1845-1923), a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
Throughout its history, the GHEGAN surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Gegan, Geggan, Gheggan, and Geagan, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier eras. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the Gaelic word "geagan" and its connection to the natural world of trees and forests.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ghegan
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ghegan 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 Ghegan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ghegan
Ghegan 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,608 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 Ghegan 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 | #143,149 | #145,757 | -1.8% |
| Count | 116 | 115 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ghegan bearers went from 116 to 115 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ghegan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ghegan?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ghegan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ghegan?
Ghegan ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Ghegan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ghegan.
Has Ghegan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ghegan went from 116 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ghegan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ghegan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ghegan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ghegan (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 Ghegan mean?
A surname likely derived from an Irish place name. 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 Ghegan (0.04 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 share the surname Ghegan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.