Carrigan
Carrigan is an Irish surname, usually understood as an Anglicized form of an older Gaelic family name.
The #5,529 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,085 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Carrigan is generally treated as an Anglicized Irish surname. It is often explained as coming from Gaelic forms such as Ó Corragáin or Mac Corragáin, built on a personal name related to corragán, a diminutive of corr, meaning “spear” or “pointed.” In that sense, the name may have begun as a nickname for someone associated with a spear, a pointed feature, or sharpness of character.
History
The surname is found in Ireland and later among Irish emigrant communities abroad, especially in English-speaking countries. The historical excerpts provided show Carrigan grouped among Irish surnames, but they do not supply a full etymological entry, so the explanation here follows standard onomastic treatment of the name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Carrigan and Corrigan are close variants in Irish records, and older spellings often shifted between C, K, and sometimes Qu- forms.
From the historical record
“CORRIGAX. Carrigan. 82. Coiirigan. 3. Currigan. 29, [Kerrigan]. 361. CORRY.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland