Digan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The ancient Gaelic form of the Irish name Digan 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 Digan family

The surname Digan 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 Digan family

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

Digan Spelling Variations

Throughout the early history of this name, spellings of the surname in various records changed frequently largely due to the recorder's interpretation of how the name sounded at the time of the entry. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Digan family name include Dugan, Duggan, O'Duggan, Dougan, Douggan, Dewgan, Deugan and many more.

Early Notables of the Digan family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Digan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Digan 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:

Digan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Bridget Digan, aged 30, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hindostan" in 1875
William Digan, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hindostan" in 1875
Patrick Digan, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hindostan" in 1875
Michael Digan, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hindostan" in 1875
John Digan, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hindostan" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)