Kerigan
Of Celtic origin, a variant form of the masculine name Kieran.
Name Census estimates that about 444 living Americans carry the first name Kerigan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kerigan today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kerigan births was 1996 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kerigan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
444
~ 1 in 771,969 Americans
Peak year
1996
37 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2018 SSA rank
#11,015
Tracked since 1994
Census
Kerigan in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 416 people with the first name Kerigan, which placed it at #23,505 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,505
National first-name rank
People counted
416
416 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
90.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerigan
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kerigan is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kerigan described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kerigan at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 376
- Black or African American3.6% · 15
- Two or more races3.6% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Popularity
Kerigan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kerigan from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 239 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kerigan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kerigan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kerigan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kerigans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas recorded the most babies named Kerigan, while Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kerigan
The name Kerigan is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and intrigue. It is believed to have roots in the ancient Celtic cultures of Ireland and Scotland, with possible connections to the Old Irish word "ceirín," which translates to "little berry." This could suggest that the name was initially bestowed upon those born during the bountiful berry-picking seasons, symbolizing fertility and abundance.
Another theory suggests that Kerigan may be derived from the Gaelic word "ceirteach," meaning "crofter" or "small farmer." In the rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and Irish countryside, crofters played a pivotal role in sustaining their communities through their tireless efforts on the land. This connection could signify a deep reverence for the earth and a strong work ethic.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kerigan can be traced back to the 16th century, with mentions found in parish records and historical documents from the British Isles. However, it is possible that the name existed in oral traditions long before written records were kept, passed down through generations as a mark of cultural identity and heritage.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kerigan. One such figure was Kerigan O'Malley (1685-1742), a renowned Irish poet and scholar whose works celebrated the rich literary traditions of his homeland. His poems, written in both Irish and English, provided a window into the struggles and triumphs of the Irish people during a tumultuous period in their history.
In the 18th century, Kerigan MacLeod (1720-1798) was a Scottish explorer and navigator who played a crucial role in charting the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic. His meticulous maps and detailed accounts of his voyages aided countless sailors in navigating the region safely, earning him a lasting legacy in the annals of maritime history.
The 19th century saw the rise of Kerigan Fitzgerald (1845-1912), a pioneering American educator who dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for children in underprivileged communities. Her innovative teaching methods and unwavering commitment to fostering a love of learning inspired generations of students and paved the way for educational reform.
In the realm of sports, Kerigan O'Connor (1927-2001) was a celebrated Australian cricketer whose prowess on the field earned him a place among the greats of the game. His exceptional batting skills and sportsmanship endeared him to fans around the world, cementing his legacy as a true cricketing legend.
Finally, Kerigan Sinclair (1960-present) is a contemporary Canadian artist whose vibrant and thought-provoking works have been exhibited in galleries across the globe. Her unique blend of traditional techniques and modern themes has garnered critical acclaim, solidifying her position as a trailblazer in the art world.
People
Kerigan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kerigan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kerigan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kerigan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 444 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kerigan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 771,969 US residents.
Is Kerigan a common name?
We classify Kerigan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 452 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kerigan most popular?
The single biggest year for Kerigan was 1996, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kerigan is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kerigan in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 416 people with the name Kerigan, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,505 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kerigan in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kerigan?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kerigan leans strongly female. 404 people counted with this name were female (96.0%), compared with 17 male bearers (4.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kerigan?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kerigan is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kerigan most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Kerigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (376 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kerigan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kerigan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kerigan in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kerigan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kerigan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kerigan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Kerigan?
Want to know how many people have the name Kerigan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.