Show ContentsCorrigan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Corrigan originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Corragain. 1

Early Origins of the Corrigan family

The surname Corrigan was first found in Fermanagh (Irish: Fear Manach) in the southwestern part of Northern Ireland, Province of Ulster, in Ulster, where they are known to have been located since the 9th century. This family was related to the Maguires, and both families claim descent from the three Collas, who were Irish kings during the 4th century. Those of the Corrigan family is now scattered widely across Ireland, with the exception of Munster, where they are uncommon. The dispersion of the family had already taken place by the 16th century, when bearers of the name were recorded in the counties of Meath, Monaghan, Offaly and Roscommon. Petty's census of 1659, lists Corrigan and O'Corrigan as among the most common names in the counties of Fermanagh, Longford and Offaly.

Early History of the Corrigan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corrigan research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1802, 1839, 1866, 1880 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Corrigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corrigan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Carrigan, Caragan, Caraghen, Carigan, Carignan, Carragan, O'Carrigan, Corrigan, Corigan, O'Corrigan, Corigon, Corrigon, Corrigen, Korrigan, Korigan, Currigan, Courigan, Currigen, Kurrigan, Corregan, Coregan, Corigen, Korrigen, Korigen, Kurigan and many more.

Early Notables of the Corrigan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Michael Augustin Corrigan (1839-1902), Archbishop of New York

Corrigan Ranking

In the United States, the name Corrigan is the 3,744th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2


Corrigan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corrigan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hugh Corrigan, a bonded passenger who arrived in America in 1750
  • James Corrigan, a convict sent from Middlesex county, England to American in 1764
Corrigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Corrigan, aged 43, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
  • Andrew Corrigan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 3
  • Bernard Corrigan, who settled in Philadelphia in 1818
  • Elisabeth Corrigan, who settled in New York in 1830
  • Mary Corrigan, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corrigan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corrigan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anstace Corrigan from county Kilkenny, "an old offender," was married at St. John's, Newfoundland in 1811
  • Mary Corrigan, who settled in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1817
  • Patrick Corrigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1830
  • Mary Deniffe Corrigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
  • Thomas Corrigan, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Robert Burns" in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corrigan migration to Australia +

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

Corrigan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Corrigan, (b. 1799), aged 19, Irish house maid who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr.Paul Corrigan, (Coryan, Connaghan), (b. 1798), aged 21, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn" 5
  • Mrs. Bridget Corrigan, (Carrigan, Bridges, Fury), (b. 1804), aged 25, Irish needle woman who was convicted in Longford, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 1st January 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, listed with 1 child aboard 6
  • Bryan Corrigan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Trafalgar" in 1847 7
  • Peter Corrigan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Trafalgar" in 1847 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corrigan 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:

Corrigan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Tomina Corrigan, (b. 1838), aged 30, British cook travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 8
  • Anne Corrigan, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
  • Francis Corrigan, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hudson" in 1879
  • James Corrigan, aged 19, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Earl Granville" in 1880
  • Bridget Corrigan, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Earl Granville" in 1880

Contemporary Notables of the name Corrigan (post 1700) +

  • Liam Corrigan (b. 1997), American rower, he competed at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics
  • Robert Willoughby Corrigan (1927-1993), American writer and educator, founding editor of the Carleton Drama Review, which later became TDR: The Drama Review.
  • Robert Anthony Corrigan (1935-2024), American academic, 12th President of San Francisco State University from 1988 to 2012
  • Thomas C. Corrigan Sr. (1938-2022), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1987-2006)
  • Edward Gerald Corrigan (1941-2022), American banker, seventh President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee
  • Eugene Francis Corrigan (1928-2020), American lacrosse player, coach of lacrosse and soccer, inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1993
  • Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan (1839-1902), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Lloyd Corrigan (1900-1969), American film actor, producer
  • Kevin Fitzgerald Corrigan (b. 1969), American actor
  • Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan (1907-1995), American aviator, who 'accidentally' crossed the Atlantic in 1938, after filing a flight plan from Brooklyn to California
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Thomas Corrigan (1872-1914), Irish Seaman from Dundalk, Ireland who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 9
SS Atlantic
  • Mr. Thomas Corrigan, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Vimy Ridge
  • Edward Bernard Corrigan (1894-1917), Canadian labourer, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge March 1917


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TRAFALGAR 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Trafalgar.htm
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


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