Corrigan
An Irish surname, usually understood as a form of Ó Corragáin, meaning a descendant of a man called Corragán or Corrán.
The #3,168 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,092 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Corrigan is an Irish surname generally taken to come from Gaelic Ó Corragáin. The underlying personal name is usually linked with corr, meaning “spear,” “point,” or sometimes “odd” or “crooked,” with the diminutive suffix -án, giving the sense of a nickname or ancestral byname. In older scholarship the name is also connected with spellings that suggest several related Irish forms, so the exact original nickname is not always certain.
History
The surname is found in Irish records in several spellings, and historical dictionaries place it especially in Irish counties such as Dublin and Tyrone. Like many Irish surnames, it was anglicized in different ways over time, producing forms such as Corrigan, Currigan, and related variants. The name later spread beyond Ireland through emigration, especially in the 19th century.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries group Corrigan with a cluster of Irish names built on similar sounding Gaelic roots, which is one reason the spelling history is so varied.
From the historical record
“Corr, Curry ; Weir, etc. O Co^tiA-OAin, Corridon, Cordan. O CoiiiAA^Ain, Corrigan, Curri- gan, etc. 6 Co|i)iAi-6, Corree, Corrie, Corry, Curry.*”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames