HARRIGAN

Harrigan is a surname of pure Irish origin, belonging to the Celtic linguistic family. It is most frequently seen in the British Isles, particularly in Ireland, where it is recorded in a range of counties from Sligo in the north‑west to Cork and Kerry in the south‑west.

According to authoritative sources, the name derives from the Gaelic patronymic Ó hArgadáin, which translates literally as “descendant of Argadán.” The personal name Argadán is believed to have been formed from the word argad, meaning “silver” in English. Thus, one accepted interpretation of the surname is linked to the notion of silver or, more generally, to a distinguished family line.

An alternative derivation has been proposed from the Gaelic Ó hEirgheannaigh, “descendant of Eirgheannach.” The given name Eirgheannach is itself formed from the Old Irish personal name Eireamhón, meaning “ward of Erc,” a saint of the sixth century. Both lineages of the name are found in Munster, especially in the counties of Clare, Limerick and Cork, and are reflected in a range of spelling variants such as O’Harrigan, O’Heragan and Heragon.

In the Republic of Ireland the surname has been documented in a wide variety of orthographic forms. Recorded spellings include Harragin, Harrigan, Horgan, Horrigan, Hourihane, Hourigan and Organ. The earliest known transcription that survives today dates to 1551, when a record for David O’Horegane was entered in Leix, during the reign of King Edward V of England. In 1890, among the sixty‑six birth registrations in Ireland, forty occurred in County Cork and twenty‑one in County Kerry.

The name is most common in County Sligo, where it is a familiar surname, and it likewise appears frequently in the counties of Cork and Kerry. Census records from 1901 show one hundred and two families bearing the name in County Kerry alone, many of whom were situated in the barony of Clanmaurice.

As a result of the large emigration waves of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Harrigans settled in large numbers in the United States and Canada. In Canada the surname is found in the Maritime provinces, particularly on Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In the United States it is prevalent in municipalities such as New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. By extension, emigrants have also carried the name to Australia and other parts of the world.

The surname typically indicates Christian affiliation, reflecting the widespread Christian identity of most Irish families during the periods of its earliest attestations. It embodies a sense of endurance and resilience associated with the Irish diaspora.

In modern times Harrigan remains one of the more common surnames in Ireland. It is also present in other English‑speaking countries, where it retains its original spelling, though localised variants such as Herrigan have appeared particularly in Scotland and into regions of England such as the Midlands.

Typical given names associated with the Harrigan surname

Male

• Brian
• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Lee
• Michael
• Patrick
• Paul
• Robert
• William

Female

• Angela
• Anne
• Catherine
• Claire
• Elizabeth
• Helen
• Josephine
• Karen
• Kathleen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Melanie
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Harrigan in...

Braille

⠓⠁⠗⠗⠊⠛⠁⠝

Morse

.....-.-..-...--..--.

Semaphore

Origin: Celtic

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: Ireland

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: Gaelic

Famous people named Harrigan

• Duncan Harrigan - Football player (1921 to 2005)
• Tahesia Harrigan-Scott - Virgin Islands sprinter
• Lanville Harrigan - Cricketer

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

Your comments on the Harrigan surname