The Carrigan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,290 people carried this name — #5,529 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 46,900 people counted. That is up 1% from 6,234 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 9 births for the Carrigan name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Fermanagh.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 4
Leinster 2
Munster 2
Connacht 1

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

In Scotland’s registers today

Carrigan was recorded 21 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1107th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 20. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Carrigan in American newspapers,
1880–1926.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Carrigan
Daily Kennebec Journal 1913-07-17
Newspaper page from Burt's Among The Clouds carrying the name Carrigan
Burt's Among The Clouds 1880-07-23
Newspaper page from Brownsville Herald carrying the name Carrigan
Brownsville Herald 1926-12-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 44,797 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Carrigan in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

5,233 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Carrigan. The most, 1,561, 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 Queensland, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,507
New South Wales 2,009
Victoria 389
South Australia 115
Western Australia 113
Tasmania 59
ACT (Canberra) 21
Northern Territory 7

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

Who carried it

People named Carrigan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Carrigan
    Thomas Carrigan 1886–1941 · actor
  • Philip Carrigan 1746–1806
  • William Carrigan 1860–1924 · historian
  • William Carrigan 1860–1924 · historian
  • John Carrigan 1863–1922 · architect
  • William L. Carrigan 1868–1939 · painter

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 Carrigan,
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 States1,257 records

1,257 records of the Carrigan name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 381
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 281
  • Other U.S. records 595
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James P. Carrigan

    Born 1916 in United Kingdom. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York; waiter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1958, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    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 Bridget Carrigan

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 16; servant. From Longford, Ireland; bound for Brooklyn.

    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 Maurice L. Carrigan

    U.S. Army veteran. Born 1935, died 1997; buried at Robinett Cemetery, Brumley, Missouri.

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

Showing 3 of 1,257 records for Carrigan in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · 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).

Canada392 records

392 records of the Carrigan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 369
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hugh Carrigan

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Nova Scotian, landing at Portland, bound for Palmerston, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Peter Carrigan

    Killed in 1918 at the Allan Shaft, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ernest F. Carrigan

    Buried in 1990 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 38.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 392 records for Carrigan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia176 records

176 records of the Carrigan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 62
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 57
  • Other Australian records 57
  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 Ellen Carrigan

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Roslin Castle, arriving 1836; ticket of leave 1840.

    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 John Carrigan

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Macaulay, aged 27; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hugh Carrigan

    Farmer of Diggora, Victoria; died 1896.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 176 records for Carrigan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · 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).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Carrigan name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Carrigan

    Died 1941, aged 79; buried at Logie 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 J. Carrigan

    Durham Light Infantry. 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 Mary S. G. Carrigan

    Died 1957, aged 63; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

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

Showing 3 of 8 records for Carrigan 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).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Carrigan name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bertha Annie Carrigan

    Died 1965, aged 82; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Sims Carrigan

    Died 1972, aged 88; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

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

    In the population register of Nijmegen; born 1890.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (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 Carrigan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Carrigan 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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