NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Carrigan

Irish name meaning "descendant of the spear carrier".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Carrigan is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Carrigan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5707, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 12 births.

This profile covers 43 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 46 living people in the UK are called Carrigan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2011 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Carrigan ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 12 girls were registered as Carrigan.
  • Carrigan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #621 in 1999.
  • About 46 living people in the UK are estimated to have Carrigan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5707

2010

Births in 2010

3

Latest year

Peak year

1997

12 births

Estimated living

46

2026

Meaning

What does Carrigan mean?

The given name Carrigan is a relatively modern name that emerged in the English-speaking world, particularly in Ireland and the United States, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Irish surname Carrigan, which itself traces its origins to the Gaelic word 'cairighe,' meaning 'descendant of the rock' or 'rocky place.'

While the name Carrigan does not have a long historical lineage, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this first name throughout the years. One of the earliest recorded instances is Carrigan Jones, a Welsh-American painter and sculptor who lived from 1862 to 1940. His works are known for their depictions of rural life in Wales and the American West.

Another notable figure was Carrigan Jones, a Canadian ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the early 20th century. He was a part of the team's Stanley Cup-winning squads in 1916 and 1917.

In literature, Carrigan is the name of a character in the novel 'The Carrigan Curse' by Dennis Wheatley, published in 1964. The novel is a work of occult fiction and features a character named Carrigan who becomes embroiled in a supernatural mystery.

One of the more prominent individuals with the name Carrigan was James Carrigan, an American political figure who served as the Governor of Ohio from 1917 to 1919. He was born in 1876 and played a significant role in the state's politics during the early 20th century.

More recently, Carrigan is the first name of Carrigan Kee, an American actress and model born in 1995. She is known for her roles in various television series and films, including 'The Perfect Mate' and 'The Haunting of Bly Manor.'

While the name Carrigan may not have a rich historical tapestry like some other names, it has certainly made its mark in various fields over the past century or so. Its origins lie in the rugged landscapes of Ireland, and it has since been adopted by individuals across the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Carrigan over time

The chart below shows babies named Carrigan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Carrigan, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 12 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Carrigan
036912199620032010

Decades

Carrigan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Carrigan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #5707 3 1
2000s #3818 11 3
1990s #2311 29 4

Geography

Where Carrigan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Carrigan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Carrigan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #621 in 1999.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Carrigan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#621 in 1999

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Carrigan

FAQ

Carrigan: questions and answers

How popular is the name Carrigan in the UK right now?

In 2010, Carrigan was ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Carrigan most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 12 babies registered as Carrigan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Carrigan?

Irish name meaning "descendant of the spear carrier".

How many people are called Carrigan in the UK?

A total of 43 babies have been registered as Carrigan across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Carrigan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Carrigan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #621 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.