2000
#5,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,670
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.10
Rare Last name
Madigan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Madacháin," meaning "descendant of Madachán," a personal name meaning "little dog."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,214 Americans carry the last name Madigan. That puts it at #6,084 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,158 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madigan 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 Madigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,158
Census rank
#6,084
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,419 bearers of the surname Madigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6084th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Madigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Madigan 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 Madigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,985
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 204
- Two or more races2.7% · 144
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 27
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madigan
Madigan 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
#6,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,707
+37 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Down 412 places
2020
#6,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,419
-288 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,613 | 5,670 | 2.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,025 | 5,707 | 1.93 | +37 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 412 places |
| 2020 | #6,084 | 5,419 | 1.81 | -288 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 59 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 Madigan 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 | #6,025 | #6,084 | -1.0% |
| Count | 5,707 | 5,419 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.93 | 1.81 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madigan bearers went from 5,707 to 5,419 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,025 to #6,084.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Madigan
FAQ
Madigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madigan?
Name Census estimates that about 6,214 living Americans carry the surname Madigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,158 residents.
How common is Madigan?
Madigan ranks #6,084 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.81 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 5,419 people with the surname Madigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.81 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 Madigan.
Has Madigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madigan went from 5,707 recorded bearers to 5,419. That is a decrease of 288 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,025 to #6,084.
What does the Census say about the background of Madigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Madigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Madigan (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 Madigan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Madacháin," meaning "descendant of Madachán," a personal name meaning "little dog." 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 Madigan (1.81 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 Madigan?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Madigan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.