MacGrogan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name MacGrogan 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 MacGrogan family

The surname MacGrogan 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 MacGrogan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacGrogan research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early MacGrogan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacGrogan Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the MacGrogan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Grogan, O'Grogan, Grogen, Groogen, Grugen, Groggan, O'Groogan and many more.

Early Notables of the MacGrogan family

More information is included under the topic Early MacGrogan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacGrogan family

Ireland saw an enormous decrease in its population in the 19th century due to immigration and death. This pattern of immigration began slowly in the late 18th century and gradually grew throughout the early portion of the 19th century. However, a dramatic increase in the country's immigration numbers occurred when the Great Potato Famine struck in the 1840s. The early immigrants to North America were primarily destined to be farmers tending to their own plot of land, those that came later initially settled within pre-established urban centers. These urban immigrants provided the cheap labor that the fast developing United States and soon to be Canada required. Regardless of their new lifestyle in North America, the Irish immigrants to the United States and Canada made invaluable contributions to their newly adopted societies. An investigation of immigrant and passenger lists revealed many MacGrogans: Alexander Grogan settled in Virginia in 1652; Charles, James, Jeremiah, John, Michael, Nathaniel Grogan, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

The MacGrogan 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.