The Bogan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,034 people carried this name — #4,425 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,800 people counted. That is up 6% from 7,603 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bogan surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Bogáin (“descendant of Bogán”), a personal name from a diminutive form of bog (“soft, tender”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bogan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 12 births for the Bogan name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 5 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Wexford.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 7
Ulster 3
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Bogan in American newspapers,
1890–1928.

Newspaper page from Wheeling Register carrying the name Bogan
Wheeling Register 1898-05-24
Newspaper page from Chicago Citizen carrying the name Bogan
Chicago Citizen 1928-09-28
Newspaper page from The Seattle Post-intelligencer carrying the name Bogan
The Seattle Post-intelligencer 1890-07-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 47,563 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bogan in Australian newspapers,
1850s–2000s.

4,886 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bogan. The most, 804, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,242
Victoria 644
Queensland 532
South Australia 171
Western Australia 165
Tasmania 90
ACT (Canberra) 31
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bogan.

Who carried it

People named Bogan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Dan Bogan
    Dan Bogan 1860–1889 · cowboy
  • William J. Bogan
    William J. Bogan 1870–1936 · teacher
  • Gerald F. Bogan
    Gerald F. Bogan 1894–1973 · military officer
  • Louise Bogan
    Louise Bogan 1897–1970 · writer
  • Zachary Bogan 1625–1659 · theologian
  • Billy Bogan 1860–1900 · thief

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bogan,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States799 records

799 records of the Bogan name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 240
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 202
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 132
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 111
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 46
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 39
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 28
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Elze E. Bogan

    Born 1915 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Forrest; cook from Davidson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Little Rock National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catherine Bogan

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the Webster from Liverpool, aged 17; dressmaker. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Roy Elmer Bogan

    U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1937, died 1991; buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 799 records for Bogan in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia57 records

57 records of the Bogan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 20
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 17
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 11
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 5
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 2
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Anthony Bogan

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Guildford, arriving 1818; certificate of freedom 1824.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Bogan

    Arrived in Queensland in 1874 aboard the Indus, aged 15.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Bogan

    Retired of Moe, Victoria; died 1956.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 57 records for Bogan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany25 records

25 records of the Bogan name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ernst Bogan

    From Birkenhainichen, Lübben. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 26 January 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 176).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Bogan

    From Drewitz, Kreis Cottbus. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 20 October 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 52).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Bogan

    From Oderberg, Angermünde. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 10 May 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Bogan in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Norway18 records

18 records of the Bogan name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Jette Bogan

    Census of 1910: Bogan (gaard), Foldereid; maidservant, born 1874 in Foldereid.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Kristoffer Bogan

    Census of 1910: Bogan (gaard), Foldereid; farmer, born 1854 in Foldereid.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Karl Bogan

    Census of 1910: Grønlid, Kolvereid; born 1888 in Foldereid.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Bogan in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Bogan name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Bogan

    Died 1980, aged 76; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Bogan

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Bogan

    Died 1984, aged 52; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 5 records for Bogan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Bogan name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Friedrich Ernst Bogan

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bogan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bogan is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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