Show ContentsDeeghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Gaelic form of the Irish name Deeghan 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 Deeghan family

The surname Deeghan 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 Deeghan family

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

Deeghan Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a person's name was often recorded under several spelling variations during a single lifetime because it was essentially up to the individual scribe's discretion as to how to record an individual's name. Research into the name Deeghan revealed many variations, including Dugan, Duggan, O'Duggan, Dougan, Douggan, Dewgan, Deugan and many more.

Early Notables of the Deeghan family

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


Deeghan migration to Canada +

Often leaving from racial discrimination and colonial oppression, thousands of families left Ireland in the 19th century for North America aboard passenger ships. Many early immigrants found a plot of land to call their own, something unimaginable for most Irish families. Those that arrived later were often accommodated as laborers since there was a large demand for cheap labor. This was the fate for many of the families that arrived in North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Whether they became agrarian settlers or industrial workers, the Irish that came to North America were invaluable for rapid development of the infant nations of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Deeghan or a variant listed above:

Deeghan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Deeghan, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • Patrick Deeghan, aged 17, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • Margaret Deeghan, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • William Deeghan, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • John Deeghan, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


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


Houseofnames.com on Facebook