Show ContentsDuggan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Gaelic form of the Irish name Duggan was Ó Dubhaigan. The first portion of the name is the word dubh, which means black; the second portion is likely some obsolete Irish personal name.

Early Origins of the Duggan family

The surname Duggan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where O'DuilAgin, O'Dugan, (or O'Deegan), chief of Muintir ConIochta, a district in the parish of Tomgraney, in the barony of Tullagh.

The family line is directly traceable to Fergus Mor (Fergus the Great). In turn his ancestry is associated with King Ir, brother of the equally famous Heremon. The name was first found near what is now the town of Fermoy, in the territory formerly known as Roche's Country. This territory encompassed the junction of the counties Cork, Tipperary and Waterford. In modern times, the surname is generally found in these three counties.

However, there was another O'Dugan sept in the territory called Ui Maine, also called Hy Many, which spans eastern county Galway and southern county Roscommon. This sept gave their name to the place called Ballyduggan, near Loughrea. [1]

Early History of the Duggan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duggan research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1813, 1823, 1884 and 1896 are included under the topic Early Duggan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duggan Spelling Variations

Many different spelling variations of the surname Duggan exist in the archives researched. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Dugan, Duggan, O'Duggan, Dougan, Douggan, Dewgan, Deugan and many more.

Early Notables of the Duggan family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

  • Most Rev. Patrick Duggan (1813-1896), Bishop of Clonfert

Duggan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Duggan is the 2,799th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [2] However, in Australia, the name Duggan is ranked the 625th most popular surname with an estimated 6,238 people with that name. [3] And in New Zealand, the name Duggan is the 855th popular surname with an estimated 857 people with that name. [4] The United Kingdom ranks Duggan as 999th with 6,949 people. [5]


United States Duggan migration to the United States +

Irish emigration to North America began modestly in the late 18th century. At this time, Irish families made the journey to British North America and the United States by choice and after careful consideration: they were primarily in search of a suitably large stretch of land to call their own. This pattern would change most dramatically during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For example, the years 1825-1845 saw approximately 450,000 heading to British North America and 400,000 to the United States, but in 1847, at the height of the famine, it is estimated that more than 104,000 Irish immigrants went to British North America and more than 119,000 to the United States. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Duggan:

Duggan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliz Duggan, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 [6]
  • Catherine Duggan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 [6]
Duggan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Daniel Duggan, aged 33, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
  • Denis Duggan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [6]
  • Ellen Duggan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [6]
  • Helen Duggan, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 [6]
  • Madge Duggan, who landed in New Jersey in 1850 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Duggan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duggan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Duggan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Philip Duggan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1803
  • John Duggan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1810
  • Patrick Duggan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1821
  • Timothy Duggan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1826
  • James Duggan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Duggan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Duggan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Duggan, English servant who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1834 [8]
  • Mr. Walter Duggan, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Mrs. Margaret Duggan, (nee Jones), (b. 1784), aged 20, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Mr. Walter Duggan, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • William Duggan, English convict from Shropshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Duggan 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:

Duggan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Duggan, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Eagle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 26th June 1842 [12]
  • Mr. John Duggan, British settler as part of the 8th Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 [13]
  • Mrs. Mary Duggan, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 [13]
  • Mr. James Duggan, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 30th July 1861 [13]
  • C. Duggan, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1862 [13]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Duggan (post 1700) +

  • Patrick James Duggan Jr. (1933-2020), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2000-2020)
  • Thomas Joseph Duggan (1880-1930), American sports promoter of horse racing, hockey, dog racing
  • James Duggan (1825-1899), Catholic bishop of Chicago (1859-1880)
  • James Duggan (1930-2023), Irish hurler
  • Noel Duggan (1949-2022), Irish musician, founding member of The Duggans, an Irish musical duo from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland
  • William Patrick "WIllie" Duggan (1950-2017), Irish international rugby union player who won 41 Irish Caps
  • John Coote Duggan (1918-2000), Irish Church of England Reverend, 11th Bishop of Tuam, Killala, and Achonry
  • Eamonn S. Duggan (1874-1936), Irish lawyer, nationalist and politician
  • John "Johnny" Duggan (1929-2022), English rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s
  • Mr. Michael John Duggan B.E.M., British Councillor was appointed the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire [14]
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. John Duggan, British Assistant Printer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking [15]
  • Mr. Patrick Duggan, British Greaser from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking [15]
Halifax Explosion
  • Miss Gertrude  Duggan (1909-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Miss Eileen  Duggan (1909-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Mrs. Susie  Duggan (1864-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Mr. Charles  Duggan Sr. (1865-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Mr. Clyde  Duggan, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • ... (Another 16 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania
SS Atlantic
  • Mr. James Duggan, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
  • Mr. Thomas Duggan, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking


Suggested Readings for the name Duggan +

  • Thomas Hinds Duggan Descendants and Ancestor by Alice Duggan Gracy.
  • A Cameo Study of the Descendants of George William Dugan (1810-1885) (also Duggan) by Lucille Dugan.

  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  11. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
  15. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  16. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  17. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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