2000
#102,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gaghan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "gághan" meaning "slender" or "thin."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 205 Americans carry the last name Gaghan. That puts it at #106,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,671,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaghan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
205
1 in 1,671,972
Census rank
#106,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
179
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 179 bearers of the surname Gaghan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 106101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaghan
The surname Gaghan is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "geadh," which means "goose," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who raised or traded in geese.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Gaghan name was Patrick Gaghan, born in County Sligo, Ireland, in the late 1500s. Records indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the region. Another early reference to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gaghan of Connaught" in the year 1602.
As the Gaghan family spread across Ireland, various spelling variations emerged, including Gagan, Gagen, and Gaygan. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of written records at the time.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Gaghan name was Michael Gaghan, born in County Mayo in 1723. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community. His descendants continued to hold influence in the region for several generations.
Another individual of note was John Gaghan, born in County Sligo in 1805. He was a renowned scholar and educator who contributed significantly to the preservation of Irish language and culture. His works on Irish grammar and literature were widely recognized during his lifetime.
As the Irish diaspora spread across the globe, the Gaghan name traveled with them. In the late 19th century, records show instances of the name appearing in places like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where Irish immigrants had settled.
One such individual was Patrick Gaghan, who was born in County Mayo in 1865 and later emigrated to the United States, settling in New York City. He became a prominent figure in the local Irish community and was actively involved in various social and cultural organizations.
While the Gaghan surname may not be among the most common in the world today, it carries a rich history rooted in Irish heritage and the various stories of those who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaghan
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaghan bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gaghan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 9
- Two or more races3.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaghan
Gaghan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#101,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 178
+16 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 1,444 places
2020
#106,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
+1 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,854 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #102,691 | 162 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #101,247 | 178 | 0.06 | +16 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 1,444 places |
| 2020 | #106,101 | 179 | 0.06 | +1 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 4,854 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gaghan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #101,247 | #106,101 | -4.8% |
| Count | 178 | 179 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaghan bearers went from 178 to 179 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 4,854 positions in the national ranking, going from #101,247 to #106,101.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gaghan
FAQ
Gaghan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaghan?
Name Census estimates that about 205 living Americans carry the surname Gaghan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,671,972 residents.
How common is Gaghan?
Gaghan ranks #106,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 179 people with the surname Gaghan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gaghan.
Has Gaghan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaghan went from 178 recorded bearers to 179. That is an increase of 1 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #101,247 to #106,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaghan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaghan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaghan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gaghan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gaghan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "gághan" meaning "slender" or "thin." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gaghan (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Gaghan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.