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

Goffigan, 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 Goffigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goffigan in America

Goffigan is the 99845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goffigan surname appeared 181 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Goffigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goffigan 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 Goffigan

The surname GOFFIGAN is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "goff" meaning "smith" and "igan" meaning "son of." The name likely refers to an ancestor who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Goffigan de Kilmarnock," suggesting the family's roots were in the town of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire.

In the 15th century, the GOFFIGAN clan was known to reside in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. Records from this time period include a mention of a "Duncan GOFFIGAN" who was a notable warrior and fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

By the 16th century, variations of the spelling emerged, including "Goffygan" and "Goffygane." In 1523, a "Malcolm GOFFIGAN" is recorded as having been granted lands in Stirlingshire by King James V of Scotland for his loyalty and service.

One of the most notable figures in GOFFIGAN history was Sir William GOFFIGAN (1585-1657), a Scottish soldier and landowner. He served as a colonel in the Covenanter army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was later appointed as the Governor of Dumbarton Castle by Oliver Cromwell.

Another prominent individual was Elizabeth GOFFIGAN (1668-1736), a celebrated poet and writer from Edinburgh. Her collection of works, titled "The GOFFIGAN Verses," was widely acclaimed and published throughout Scotland and England during her lifetime.

In the 18th century, John GOFFIGAN (1712-1789) was a successful merchant and trader who established a prosperous business in Glasgow. His descendants went on to become influential members of the city's mercantile and political circles.

The 19th century saw the GOFFIGAN name spread beyond Scotland, with many members of the clan emigrating to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One such individual was Alexander GOFFIGAN (1825-1899), a Canadian engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goffigan

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

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

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

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