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

Lagan, 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 Lagan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lagan in America

Lagan is the 47706th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lagan surname appeared 444 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 Lagan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lagan 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 Lagan

The surname Lagan has its origins in Ireland and is believed to have been derived from the Irish Gaelic word "leagan," which means "a hollowed-out place" or "a sunken area." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or a topographical feature in Ireland, possibly referring to a low-lying area or a valley.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Lagan surname can be traced back to the 17th century in County Down, Ireland. One notable historical reference to the name comes from the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which mention a Patrick Lagan residing in the parish of Drumbo.

In the 18th century, the Lagan surname started to appear more frequently in Irish records. One notable individual from this period was John Lagan, a merchant and landowner from County Down who was born around 1720 and died in 1790.

During the 19th century, the Lagan surname continued to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Down and Antrim. In 1837, a William Lagan was born in Belfast, and he later became a prominent businessman and politician, serving as a Member of Parliament for Belfast from 1885 to 1900.

Another notable figure with the Lagan surname was James Lagan, who was born in County Down in 1855. He was a successful industrialist and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the development of Belfast's shipbuilding industry and for his charitable works.

In the 20th century, the Lagan surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals, such as John Lagan, a distinguished Irish architect who was born in 1914 and designed several significant buildings in Belfast and throughout Ireland.

Additionally, the name Lagan is closely linked to the River Lagan, which flows through Belfast and County Down. It is believed that the river may have taken its name from the same root as the surname, further emphasizing the connection between the name and the topography of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lagan

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

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

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

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