Show ContentsMcGrogan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name McGrogan originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Grugain," which is derived from either "gruag," which means "hair," and "grug," which means "fierceness."

Early Origins of the McGrogan family

The surname McGrogan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the McGrogan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGrogan research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early McGrogan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGrogan Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name McGrogan revealed spelling variations, including Grogan, O'Grogan, Grogen, Groogen, Grugen, Groggan, O'Groogan and many more.

Early Notables of the McGrogan family

More information is included under the topic Early McGrogan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McGrogan migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name McGrogan:

McGrogan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh McGrogan, who arrived in New York in 1835 [1]
  • James McGrogan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 [1]
  • John McGrogan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 [1]

Canada McGrogan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McGrogan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Edward McGrogan, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834

New Zealand McGrogan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McGrogan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John McGrogan, aged 31, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • Catherine McGrogan, aged 32, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • Mary McGrogan, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • Rose McGrogan, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • Anne McGrogan, aged 3, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The McGrogan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Honor et virtus
Motto Translation: Honour and virtue.


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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