2000
#7,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Hannigan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'hAnnagain," meaning "descendant of Annagan," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,902 Americans carry the last name Hannigan. That puts it at #7,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hannigan 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hannigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,921
Census rank
#7,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,275 bearers of the surname Hannigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hannigan
The surname Hannigan originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Galway and Mayo, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'hAnluain," which means "descendant of Anluain." Anluain was a personal name that is thought to have been derived from the Old Irish word "anluan," meaning "wandering" or "migrating."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Hannigan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The Annals mention several individuals with the surname Hannigan, including Domhnall O'hAnluain, who was killed in a battle in 1307.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Hannigan was commonly found in the parish records of various towns and villages in Galway and Mayo. Some notable individuals from this time period include Tadhg Hannigan (1570-1640), a renowned Irish scholar and poet, and Seán Hannigan (1628-1704), a Catholic priest who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs.
As the name spread throughout Ireland and beyond, various spelling variations emerged, such as O'Hannigan, Hanigan, and Henighan. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hannigan spelling can be found in the Registry of Deeds for County Galway, which mentions a Patrick Hannigan who purchased land in 1685.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the Hannigan surname achieved notable accomplishments. These include William Hannigan (1750-1825), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and Bridget Hannigan (1802-1884), a prominent Irish nationalist and advocate for women's rights.
Other notable individuals throughout history with the Hannigan surname include James Hannigan (1859-1937), an Irish-born American labor leader and politician; Michael Hannigan (1879-1962), an Irish writer and poet; and Margaret Hannigan (1904-1992), a British author and illustrator of children's books.
Throughout its history, the surname Hannigan has been associated with various place names and locations in Ireland, particularly in the western counties of Galway and Mayo. These include the townlands of Hannigan's Cross and Hannigan's Lough, as well as the village of Hannigan's Terrace in County Galway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hannigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hannigan 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 Hannigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 3,918
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 142
- Two or more races2.6% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 33
- Black or African American0.7% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hannigan
Hannigan 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
#7,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,554
+342 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 28 places
2020
#7,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,275
-279 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,297 | 4,212 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,325 | 4,554 | 1.54 | +342 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 28 places |
| 2020 | #7,514 | 4,275 | 1.43 | -279 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 189 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 Hannigan 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 | #7,325 | #7,514 | -2.6% |
| Count | 4,554 | 4,275 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.43 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hannigan bearers went from 4,554 to 4,275 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,325 to #7,514.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hannigan
FAQ
Hannigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hannigan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,902 living Americans carry the surname Hannigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,921 residents.
How common is Hannigan?
Hannigan ranks #7,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,275 people with the surname Hannigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hannigan.
Has Hannigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hannigan went from 4,554 recorded bearers to 4,275. That is a decrease of 279 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,325 to #7,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Hannigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) 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 Hannigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (3,918 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hannigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), 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 Hannigan (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 Hannigan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'hAnnagain," meaning "descendant of Annagan," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Hannigan (1.43 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 Hannigan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.