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

Johnigan, 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 Johnigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnigan in America

Johnigan is the 52851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnigan surname appeared 392 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 Johnigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnigan 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 Johnigan

The surname Johnigan originates from the Scandinavian regions, specifically Norway and Sweden, dating back to the 9th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse name "Jóhann" or "Jón," meaning "God is gracious," combined with the patronymic suffix "-igan," signifying "son of."

Early records suggest that the name Johnigan was prevalent in coastal areas of Norway and Sweden, where Viking settlements flourished. The earliest known reference to the name can be traced back to a runic inscription from the 10th century, found in the Värmland region of Sweden, bearing the name "Jóhanniganr."

In the 12th century, a Johnigan family was mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas, indicating their presence in the Nordic regions. One notable figure from this era was Ingvar Johnigan, a Norwegian explorer who led an expedition to the Caspian Sea region in the mid-12th century.

As the Scandinavian influence spread across Europe during the Viking Age, the name Johnigan traveled with them. In the 13th century, a family bearing the name Johnigan was recorded in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, indicating their presence in the British Isles.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Olaf Johnigan was a prominent merchant and ship owner in the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. His trading activities extended from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea regions.

During the 16th century, a notable individual named Ingrid Johnigan (1523-1587) was a respected scholar and educator in Sweden, renowned for her contributions to the advancement of women's education and literacy.

Another notable figure was Erik Johnigan (1678-1742), a Swedish military officer who served in the Great Northern War under King Charles XII. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership in several battles against the Russian forces.

In the 19th century, a famous Norwegian explorer named Fridtjof Johnigan (1861-1930) gained international recognition for his expeditions to the Arctic regions, including being the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911.

Throughout its history, the surname Johnigan has been associated with various place names and locations in Scandinavia, such as Johniganbyn (Johnigan Village) in Sweden and Johnigandalen (Johnigan Valley) in Norway, reflecting the geographical distribution of families bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnigan

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

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

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

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