Hannigan
An Irish surname, probably from a Gaelic personal name or family nickname, with the exact origin not fully settled.
The #7,325 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,797 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hannigan is an Irish surname that appears in anglicized form from a Gaelic original, but the exact source is not completely secure in the older scholarship. The name is usually treated as belonging to the same Irish naming group as Hannan and Hannon, ultimately from a Gaelic personal name beginning with Hán- or a related family form. In older sources the spelling is often grouped with other Irish surnames that were rendered into English in several different ways.
History
The surname is established in Ireland, especially in the northern counties, and later appears in North American records through emigration. The 19th-century sources excerpted here list Hannigan among Irish surnames current in counties such as Antrim, Down, and Armagh, and also among surnames found in Boston. Because the historical material is brief and mostly incidental, the precise derivation is best stated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname lists often grouped Hannigan with Hannan and Hannon, reflecting how fluid Irish spellings could be in English records.
From the historical record
“nahan ; Hannan. 0 hAmiASAin, Hannigan, Hani- gan. *<3 hAtiriAiT), Hanna. 0 hAnriAin, Hannan, Hannon,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnamesNotable people named Hannigan
- Alyson Hannigan (b. 1974)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.