Harrigan
An Irish surname, usually taken as an anglicized form of an older Gaelic name, though the exact original form is not fully settled.
The #5,250 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 46,456 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Harrigan is generally treated as an anglicized Irish surname. The historical sources group it with forms such as Horrigan, Horrogan, Horgan, and Harty, suggesting it comes from an older Gaelic name that was variously rendered in English. The exact Gaelic source is not completely certain in these excerpts, so the safest summary is that it reflects an Irish patronymic surname of Gaelic origin.
History
The name is especially associated with Ireland and Irish diaspora communities. The excerpted 19th- and early-20th-century sources record a number of spelling variants, showing how the surname was reshaped in English records over time. In modern use, Harrigan is established in Ireland and abroad, particularly in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries often list Harrigan alongside several near-identical spellings, reflecting how flexible English spelling could be when recording Irish names.
From the historical record
“Errington, Irrington. 6 hA|if»A5Ain, Harrigan, Herri- gan, Horrigan, Horrogan, Horagan, Horgan, etc. 6 h-d^icA, 6 ViAjicAij, Harty,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames