Croghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name Croghan 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 Croghan family
The surname Croghan 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 Croghan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croghan research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Croghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Croghan 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 Croghan revealed many variations, including Grogan, O'Grogan, Grogen, Groogen, Grugen, Groggan, O'Groogan and many more.
Early Notables of the Croghan family
More information is included under the topic Early Croghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Croghan 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 Croghan or a variant listed above:
Croghan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Croghan, who landed in Long Island in 1812 1
- Michael Croghan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 1
- Patrick Croghan, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 1
- Mary Croghan, aged 16, who arrived in New York in 1854 1
- Pat Croghan, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1854 1
Contemporary Notables of the name Croghan (post 1700) +
- Mark Duane Croghan (b. 1968), American former track and field athlete, who mainly competed in the men's 3000 metres steeplechase, a three-time Olympian and five-time US national champion in the steeplechase (1991, 1994–97)
- Dr. John Croghan (1790-1849), American physician who helped establish the United States Marine Hospital of Louisville
- George Croghan (1791-1849), American soldier during the War of 1812, recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal
- Davis George Croghan D.D., (1832-1890), Irish-born, South African prelate, first Archdeacon of Bloemfontein, and Provost of the Cathedral
- Moses Thomas "Moe" Croghan (1914-1979), Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 16 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Maroons during the 1937–38 season
- Emma-Kate Croghan (b. 1972), Australian director and writer born in Adelaide, South Australia, nominated for two AFI awards
- George Croghan (d. 1782), Irish-born, captain or colonel, of Passayunk, Pennsylvania, British crown agent with the Indians who emigrated to America, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he was engaged as a trader among the Indians as far back as 1746 2
The Croghan 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.
Citations +
- 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)
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020