2000
#5,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,435
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Kerrigan
Anglicized form of the Irish surname O Ciaragain, meaning "descendant of Ciaragan," a diminutive of the name Ciar, meaning "black."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,130 Americans carry the last name Kerrigan. That puts it at #6,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kerrigan 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 Kerrigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,914
Census rank
#6,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,346 bearers of the surname Kerrigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kerrigan
The surname Kerrigan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Cerraghán or O'Cerraghán, meaning "little rough one" or "descendant of Cerraghán." It is believed to have originated in County Kerry, Ireland, in the early medieval period.
The name Kerrigan is thought to have been first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the 13th century. It was mentioned in reference to a notable family from County Kerry who played a significant role in local affairs during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kerrigan was Donal Kerrigan, a Irish chieftain from County Kerry who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his involvement in local conflicts and disputes over land and power.
In the 16th century, the Kerrigan family was documented in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records related to land grants and appointments in Ireland. This suggests that the family had gained a certain level of prominence and status during this period.
During the 17th century, the name Kerrigan appeared in various records related to the Plantation of Ulster, a organized colonization effort by the English and Scottish in the northern part of Ireland. Several individuals with the surname were recorded as landowners or tenants in counties such as Antrim and Derry.
One notable figure from this time was John Kerrigan, a soldier and landowner born in County Kerry in 1620. He served in the Irish Confederate Wars and later received a land grant in County Antrim for his service.
In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Kerrigan family was Patrick Kerrigan, born in 1725 in County Kerry. He was a respected scholar and poet who wrote extensively in the Irish language, helping to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of his native region.
Another noteworthy individual was Mary Kerrigan, born in County Tipperary in 1790, who was a renowned traditional Irish singer and storyteller. Her performances and recordings helped to preserve and pass down the oral traditions of Irish folklore.
As the surname Kerrigan spread throughout Ireland and beyond, it has been associated with various individuals from different walks of life, including writers, artists, politicians, and military figures. Its origins, however, can be traced back to the ancient clans and families of County Kerry in the southwestern region of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerrigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kerrigan 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 Kerrigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,890
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 215
- Two or more races2.9% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 44
- Black or African American0.6% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kerrigan
Kerrigan 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
#5,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,714
+1,279 bearers (+23.5%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Up 627 places
2020
#6,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,346
-1,368 bearers (-20.4%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 940 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,831 | 5,435 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,204 | 6,714 | 2.28 | +1,279 bearers (+23.5%) | Up 627 places |
| 2020 | #6,144 | 5,346 | 1.79 | -1,368 bearers (-20.4%) | Down 940 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 Kerrigan 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 | #5,204 | #6,144 | -18.1% |
| Count | 6,714 | 5,346 | -20.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 1.79 | -21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kerrigan bearers went from 6,714 to 5,346 (-20.4% change). The surname moved down 940 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,204 to #6,144.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kerrigan
FAQ
Kerrigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kerrigan?
Name Census estimates that about 6,130 living Americans carry the surname Kerrigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,914 residents.
How common is Kerrigan?
Kerrigan ranks #6,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,346 people with the surname Kerrigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kerrigan.
Has Kerrigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kerrigan went from 6,714 recorded bearers to 5,346. That is a decrease of 1,368 (-20.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,204 to #6,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Kerrigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kerrigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kerrigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kerrigan (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 Kerrigan mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname O Ciaragain, meaning "descendant of Ciaragan," a diminutive of the name Ciar, meaning "black." 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 Kerrigan (1.79 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 have the last name Kerrigan?
You can see how many people have the last name Kerrigan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.