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

Grogan, 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 Grogan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grogan in America

Grogan is the 3165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grogan surname appeared 11,400 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Grogan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grogan 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 Grogan

The surname GROGAN has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Irish Gaelic word "gróg," which means "a hardy little fellow" or "a stout man." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname to describe someone with a sturdy or robust physique.

The name is thought to have originated in County Cork, where it was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Kinalmeaky and Kerrycurrihy. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in various Irish annals and medieval manuscripts, such as the Annals of Inisfallen, which date back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest known references to the name GROGAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1199, where a man named Adam Grogan is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already spread beyond Ireland by the late 12th century, likely due to the migration of Irish families to England and other parts of the British Isles.

In the 16th century, the name GROGAN was prominently associated with the Gaelic noble family of the same name, who were Lords of Inchiquin in County Clare, Ireland. One notable figure from this family was Sir Donogh Grogan, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars.

Another famous bearer of the name GROGAN was John Grogan, an Irish-American painter and illustrator born in 1857 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for his illustrations in books and magazines, and his works can be found in the collections of various art museums across the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname GROGAN include:

1. John Grogan (1831-1912), an Irish-American entrepreneur and philanthropist from Boston.
2. Ewart Grogan (1876-1957), a British explorer and colonial administrator in East Africa.
3. Enda Grogan (born 1932), an Irish historian and academic.
4. Dermot Grogan (1916-2002), an Irish diplomat and civil servant.
5. Kathleen Grogan (1926-2015), an American author and journalist.

The name GROGAN has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Grogan's Hill and Grogan's Bridge in County Cork, further emphasizing its historical significance and deep roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grogan

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

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

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

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