Grogan
An Irish surname most likely from a Gaelic personal name or nickname, with a long history in Ireland.
The #3,165 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,083 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Grogan is generally treated as an Anglicized Irish surname. The historical sources point to Gaelic forms written as Ó Grogáin or related spellings, with the surname ultimately coming from a personal name rather than a place-name. Older writers sometimes tried to connect it with words meaning "hairy" or other descriptive senses, but the exact root is not completely secure. In modern reference works, it is usually explained as an Irish family name built from a Gaelic personal name or nickname.
History
The surname is well established in Ireland, especially in Leinster and parts of the south and west. The excerpts from Matheson place it in several Irish counties, and Woulfe lists Grogan, Groggan, and Groogan as related anglicized forms. It also appears in historical and modern records outside Ireland through emigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In early 20th-century Irish surname studies, Grogan was already recognized as a distinct family name with several anglicized spellings, not just one fixed form.
From the historical record
“cock Grogan. A loc. n., Queen’s Co., Ireland Gromit. See Groom IGroocock. G. Groche ; a p.n. See , \ Grew”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)