2000
#12,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,350
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Lanigan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Lannagáin," meaning "descendant of Lannagán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,586 Americans carry the last name Lanigan. That puts it at #13,017 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lanigan 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 Lanigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,542
Census rank
#13,017
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,255 bearers of the surname Lanigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13017th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lanigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lanigan
The surname Lanigan originates from Ireland and dates back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Lonigan," which means "descendant of Loingseachain." The name is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the annals, a man named Loingseachain is mentioned as a chieftain in Tipperary in the 7th century.
The surname Lanigan has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Laidgin O'Lonigan, a 13th-century Irish cleric and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Cashel from 1237 to 1253.
Another prominent figure with the surname Lanigan was John Lanigan (1758-1828), an Irish priest and historian best known for his work "An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland." He was born in Cashel, Tipperary, and his work is considered a significant contribution to the study of Irish history.
In the 19th century, Michael Lanigan (1826-1900) was an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman. He served as the Mayor of Sydney from 1888 to 1889 and played a significant role in the development of the city's infrastructure.
Frances Lanigan (1844-1921) was an American teacher and author who wrote several books on Irish history and literature. She was born in New York City and is known for her efforts in promoting Irish culture and education.
More recently, John Lanigan (1935-2013) was an Irish actor and playwright. He was born in Dublin and had a successful career in theater, appearing in productions both in Ireland and abroad.
The surname Lanigan has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Lanigan's Ball and Lanigan's Bridge, both located in County Tipperary. These place names likely originated from individuals or families with the surname Lanigan who lived or owned property in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lanigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Lanigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lanigan 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 Lanigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 2,016
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 90
- Black or African American3.1% · 69
- Two or more races2.4% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lanigan
Lanigan 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
#12,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,596
+246 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 132 places
2020
#13,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,255
-341 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,157 | 2,350 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,025 | 2,596 | 0.88 | +246 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 132 places |
| 2020 | #13,017 | 2,255 | 0.75 | -341 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 992 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 Lanigan 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 | #12,025 | #13,017 | -8.2% |
| Count | 2,596 | 2,255 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.75 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lanigan bearers went from 2,596 to 2,255 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 992 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,025 to #13,017.
FAQ
Lanigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lanigan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,586 living Americans carry the surname Lanigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,542 residents.
How common is Lanigan?
Lanigan ranks #13,017 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,255 people with the surname Lanigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,586), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Lanigan.
Has Lanigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lanigan went from 2,596 recorded bearers to 2,255. That is a decrease of 341 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,025 to #13,017.
What does the Census say about the background of Lanigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lanigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Lanigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (2,016 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lanigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (4.0%), Black (3.1%). 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 Lanigan (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 Lanigan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Lannagáin," meaning "descendant of Lannagán," 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 Lanigan (0.75 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 Americans have the surname Lanigan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.