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

Madigan, 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 Madigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Madigan in America

Madigan is the 6025th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Madigan surname appeared 5,707 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Madigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Madigan 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 Madigan

The surname Madigan is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the Gaelic name "O'Madagain" or "O'Madagain". The prefix "O'" denotes a descendant, while the latter part of the name is derived from the old Irish personal name "Madagan".

Madagan is a diminutive form of the name "Madadh", which translates to "dog" or "wolf" in Irish. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with canine-like characteristics or behavior. The area of origin for this surname is believed to be County Galway in the western region of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Madigan surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Diarmait O'Madagain" in the year 1289. This entry suggests that the surname had already been established by the late 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Madigan family was prominent in counties Galway and Mayo, where they held lands and possessions. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Donough Madigan served as the Lord of Gallen in County Mayo.

Another notable individual was Edmond Madigan, born in County Galway in 1738, who was a prominent leader during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He fought against British rule and was eventually captured and executed in 1799.

Patrick Madigan, born in 1809 in County Mayo, was a successful businessman and philanthropist who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He established several successful businesses in New York City and contributed significantly to the development of the Irish-American community.

In the literary world, Mary Madigan (1852-1920), a native of County Galway, was a renowned Irish novelist and poet. Her works often explored themes of Irish culture and identity, and she was celebrated for her vivid depictions of rural life in Ireland.

John Madigan, born in 1878 in County Mayo, was a renowned Irish-American labor leader and activist. He played a pivotal role in the early 20th century labor movement, advocating for workers' rights and better working conditions in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Madigan

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

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

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

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