Bergan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The original Gaelic form of Bergan was Ó hAimheirgin. Aimhirgin means "wondrous birth." 1
Early Origins of the Bergan family
The surname Bergan was first found in County Offaly (Irish: Uíbh Fháilí) originally the Kingdom of Uí Failghe, located in central Ireland in the Province of Leinster.
Early History of the Bergan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bergan research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1314 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Bergan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bergan Spelling Variations
During the Middle Ages, a standardized literary language known by the general population of Ireland was a thing of fiction. When a person's name was recorded by one of the few literate scribes, it was up that particular scribe to decide how to spell an individual's name. So a person could have several spelling variations of his name recorded during a single lifetime. Research into the name Bergan revealed many variations, including Bergin, Berrigan, Baragan, Bergan, Bergen, Mergin, O'Bergin, O'Bergyn, MacBergin and many more.
Early Notables of the Bergan family
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bergan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bergan Ranking
In the United States, the name Bergan is the 13,584th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Bergan migration to the United States +
Thousands of Irish left in their homeland in the 18th and 19th centuries to escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, and in the search of a plot of land to call their own. These immigrants arrived at the eastern shores of North America, early on settling and breaking the land, and, later, building the bridges, canals, and railroads essential to the emerging nations of United States and Canada. Many others would toil for low wages in the dangerous factories of the day. Although there had been a steady migration of Irish to North America over these years, the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Bergan or a variant listed above:
Bergan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John W Bergan, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
- Francis Bergan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 3
Bergan migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Bergan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Ellen Bergan, aged 19, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"
- William Bergan (aged 28), a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Gomelza"
Contemporary Notables of the name Bergan (post 1700) +
- Bill Bergan (1942-2022), American two-time NCAA championship-winning head coach with the Iowa State Cyclones track and field
- Thomas J. Bergan (1917-2011), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 30th District, 1955-56 4
- Mary A. Bergan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996, 2000, 2004 4
- Joseph Norman Bergan (1906-1968), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 29th District, 1931-34 4
- Francoise Bergan, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 2012 4
- Francis Bergan (1902-1998), American Democratic Party politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 3rd District, 1936-58; Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 30th District, 1938 4
- Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 2004 5
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html