2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Lorrigan
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Lorcáin, derived from a diminutive of the old Celtic name Lorcan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Lorrigan. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lorrigan 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Lorrigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lorrigan
The surname Lorrigan has its origins in Ireland and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "lorgain," which means "a footprint" or "a track." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a distinct landmark or followed a specific path.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Lorrigan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It mentions a Lorrigan family who resided in County Mayo, which was historically part of the ancient kingdom of Connacht.
The Lorrigan name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Lorriganstown in County Louth and Lorriganbeg in County Roscommon. These place names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the Lorrigan surname who lived in those areas.
Notable individuals with the Lorrigan surname throughout history include:
1. Seán Lorrigan (1871-1944), an Irish nationalist and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
2. Patrick Lorrigan (1835-1917), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who served as the first president of St. John's University in Minnesota.
3. Mary Lorrigan (1889-1972), an Irish-American actress and singer who performed on Broadway and in vaudeville.
4. James Lorrigan (1788-1867), an Irish landowner and magistrate from County Mayo.
5. Michael Lorrigan (1799-1871), an Irish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the early settlement of South Australia.
While the Lorrigan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora. However, the name's historical significance and connections to Irish heritage remain deeply rooted in its origins and evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lorrigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lorrigan 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 Lorrigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 100
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lorrigan
Lorrigan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,497 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 7,497 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 Lorrigan 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 | #158,432 | #150,935 | 4.7% |
| Count | 102 | 108 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lorrigan bearers went from 102 to 108 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 7,497 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #150,935.
FAQ
Lorrigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lorrigan?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Lorrigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Lorrigan?
Lorrigan ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Lorrigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lorrigan.
Has Lorrigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lorrigan went from 102 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Lorrigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorrigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Lorrigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lorrigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Lorrigan (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 Lorrigan mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Lorcáin, derived from a diminutive of the old Celtic name Lorcan. 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 Lorrigan (0.04 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 surname Lorrigan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.