NameCensus.

UK surname

Duggan

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Dubhagáin," from the Gaelic elements dubh, meaning "black," and agán, meaning "yearling."

In the 1881 census there were 2,200 people recorded with the Duggan surname, ranking it #2,015 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,661, ranked #1,014, up from #2,015 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Powys and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duggan is 6,776 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 202.8%.

1881 census count

2,200

Ranked #2,015

Modern count

6,661

2016, ranked #1,014

Peak year

2010

6,776 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duggan had 2,200 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,015 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,661 in 2016, ranked #1,014.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,198 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Duggan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Duggan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Duggan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duggan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 877 #3,115
1861 historical 1,097 #2,559
1881 historical 2,200 #2,015
1891 historical 2,293 #2,042
1901 historical 2,836 #1,964
1911 historical 3,198 #1,630
1997 modern 6,410 #1,018
1998 modern 6,638 #1,022
1999 modern 6,627 #1,039
2000 modern 6,573 #1,040
2001 modern 6,420 #1,038
2002 modern 6,526 #1,047
2003 modern 6,411 #1,041
2004 modern 6,336 #1,054
2005 modern 6,293 #1,044
2006 modern 6,344 #1,034
2007 modern 6,364 #1,037
2008 modern 6,444 #1,026
2009 modern 6,630 #1,022
2010 modern 6,776 #1,019
2011 modern 6,689 #1,017
2012 modern 6,556 #1,018
2013 modern 6,702 #1,016
2014 modern 6,763 #1,015
2015 modern 6,702 #1,012
2016 modern 6,661 #1,014

Geography

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Where Duggans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Gateshead and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Powys and Caerphilly. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 004 Herefordshire, County of
2 Powys 011 Powys
3 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
4 Powys 012 Powys
5 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duggan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Duggan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duggan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Duggan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Duggan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Duggan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Duggan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Duggan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Duggan falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Duggan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Duggan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Duggan

The surname Duggan originates from Ireland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Duagáin, meaning "descendant of Duagán." Duagán was a personal name derived from the Irish word "dua," meaning "swarthy" or "dark-featured."

The name has roots in County Mayo, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Tomás Ó Duagáin, a scribe and poet who lived in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the reign of Henry VIII. This suggests that the Duggans were a prominent family during this period.

The name is also associated with the Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Duagáin, who led a rebellion against English rule in County Mayo in the late 16th century. His descendants continued to hold significant lands in the area until the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 17th century.

One notable bearer of the name was Diarmaid Ó Duagáin, a 17th-century Irish poet and soldier who fought in the Confederate Wars. He is remembered for his vivid descriptions of the Battle of Benburb in 1646.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various parish records and land surveys, indicating the family's continued presence in Mayo and other parts of Connacht.

Other notable individuals with the surname Duggan include:

1. William Duggan (1805-1868), an Irish-born Australian explorer and surveyor. 2. Jeremiah Duggan (1897-1963), an Irish playwright and novelist. 3. Maurice Duggan (1922-1976), a New Zealand writer and novelist. 4. Michael Duggan (born 1958), an Irish former hurler who played for Kilkenny. 5. Mike Duggan (born 1958), the current Mayor of Detroit, Michigan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Duggan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duggan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 511 Duggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 511 1.93x
Middlesex 298 1.33x
Yorkshire 161 0.73x
Durham 132 1.98x
Herefordshire 106 11.56x
Kent 90 1.18x
Surrey 89 0.82x
Glamorgan 84 2.16x
Isle of Man 81 19.51x
Warwickshire 79 1.40x
Radnorshire 68 37.70x
Monmouthshire 64 3.96x
Worcestershire 57 1.95x
Cheshire 53 1.07x
Staffordshire 51 0.68x
Cumberland 44 2.29x
Gloucestershire 44 1.00x
Lanarkshire 43 0.59x
Hampshire 33 0.72x
Northumberland 22 0.66x
Shropshire 15 0.78x
Devon 13 0.28x
Royal Navy 13 4.88x
Sussex 13 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 12 1.69x
Derbyshire 10 0.29x
Midlothian 10 0.33x
Brecknockshire 8 1.79x
Flintshire 8 1.33x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.64x
Oxfordshire 6 0.43x
Somerset 6 0.17x
Lincolnshire 5 0.14x
Suffolk 5 0.18x
West Lothian 5 1.49x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.28x
Cornwall 4 0.16x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.67x
Essex 4 0.09x
Angus 3 0.14x
Channel Islands 3 0.45x
Norfolk 3 0.09x
Wigtownshire 3 1.01x
Ayrshire 2 0.12x
Dorset 2 0.14x
Leicestershire 2 0.08x
Perthshire 2 0.20x
Renfrewshire 2 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 177 Duggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.98x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 177 10.98x
Birmingham 62 3.30x
St Pancras London 36 2.00x
West Derby 35 4.51x
Woolwich 35 12.42x
Salford 31 3.97x
Lyonshall 29 436.09x
Arbory 28 309.39x
Everton 28 3.31x
Mile End Old Town London 28 5.88x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 27 9.37x
Toxteth Park 27 3.01x
Bethnal Green London 25 2.57x
Bradford 24 4.47x
Manchester 21 1.76x
Onchan 21 17.56x
Bermondsey 20 3.00x
Heworth 20 15.26x
Llantillio Pertholey 18 190.68x
Camberwell 17 1.19x
Halifax 17 5.23x
Widnes 17 8.88x
Cardiff St Mary 16 7.46x
Dodderhill 16 128.51x
Ince In Makerfield 16 12.96x
St Andrew Holborn London 16 16.53x
St George In East London 16 7.61x
Aston 15 0.97x
Bedwellty 15 5.26x
Birkenhead 15 3.81x
Greenwich 15 4.21x
Workington 15 13.61x
Leeds 14 1.12x
Merthyr Tydfil 14 3.74x
Monks Coppenhall 14 7.52x
Ombersley 14 86.10x
Oswaldtwistle 14 14.93x
Ratcliffe London 14 11.34x
Abergavenny 13 21.48x
Hackney London 13 1.04x
Llandegley 13 423.45x
Lonan 13 51.69x
Southwark St John 13 19.01x
Whitechapel London 13 5.90x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 2.91x
Kirkdale 12 2.69x
Little Bolton 12 3.52x
Royal Navy 12 5.27x
Rushen 12 42.74x
Westoe 12 3.18x
Knighton 11 75.45x
Linthorpe 11 8.32x
Llansaintfraed In Elvel 11 470.09x
Richmond 11 31.77x
Broughton In Salford 10 4.12x
Gillingham 10 6.36x
Gloucester St John Baptist 10 35.31x
Lamesley 10 27.93x
Leek Lowe 10 9.96x
St Giles In Fields London 10 9.12x
Bothwell 9 4.59x
Bristol St Paul In 9 7.70x
Govan 9 0.50x
Kensington London 9 0.72x
Lambeth 9 0.46x
Plumstead 9 3.54x
Sheffield 9 1.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 2.00x
St Clement Danes London 9 19.45x
Alverstoke 8 4.82x
Brandon Byshottles 8 9.60x
Hartlepool 8 8.46x
Parr 8 8.43x
St Anne Soho London 8 6.27x
St Martin In Fields 8 5.98x
St Woollos 8 4.44x
Stockport 8 3.15x
Westminster St James 8 3.48x
Wingate 8 17.54x
Wrockwardine 8 18.83x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Duggan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 215
Catherine 60
Elizabeth 59
Margaret 59
Ellen 57
Sarah 51
Ann 46
Jane 37
Annie 33
Alice 29
Eliza 26
Bridget 21
Emily 18
Hannah 16
Emma 14
Maria 12
Kate 11
Rose 11
Caroline 10
Julia 10
Ada 8
Anne 8
Harriet 8
Lizzie 8
Charlotte 7
Fanny 7
Rebecca 7
Frances 6
Harriett 6
Margret 6
Martha 6
Amelia 5
Edith 5
Eleanor 5
Esther 5
Isabella 5
Johanna 5
Susan 5
Agnes 4
Eliz. 4
Elizth. 4
Honoria 4
Louisa 4
Margt. 4
Norah 4
Sophia 4
Bessie 3
Jessie 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Duggan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 211
William 121
Thomas 112
James 104
Michael 46
Patrick 41
Edward 38
Henry 37
Joseph 31
George 23
Charles 22
Daniel 20
Richard 14
Alfred 12
Arthur 12
David 12
Timothy 11
Dennis 10
Jeremiah 10
Andrew 9
Thos. 9
Cornelius 8
Frederick 8
Harry 8
Martin 8
Wm. 8
Robert 7
Samuel 7
Albert 5
Alexander 5
Bernard 5
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Nicholas 4
Walter 4
Denis 3
Edmund 3
Hugh 3
Jas. 3
Paul 3
Peter 3
Roger 3
Christopher 2
Evan 2
Frances 2
Micheal 2
Motherwell 2
Philip 2
Terence 2

FAQ

Duggan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duggan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,200 people were recorded with the Duggan surname. That placed it at #2,015 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duggan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,661 in 2016. That gives Duggan a modern rank of #1,014.

What does the Duggan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Dubhagáin," from the Gaelic elements dubh, meaning "black," and agán, meaning "yearling."

What does the Duggan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Duggan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.