Surname Croghan - Meaning and Origin
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Croghan: What does the surname Croghan mean?
The last name Croghan is a surname of Irish origin. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname “O’Crogain”, which means “descendant of Cróchán”. The personal name Cróchán is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word “cróch” meaning “a hooked stick”, likely referring to somebody with long arms or tall stature. The name is more specifically associated with County Cork in Southern Ireland, though some branches are noted in Ulster as well as East Galway, perhaps indicating migrations from the south.
The surname Croghan was first recorded in County Fermanagh in the late 17th century, and families bearing the name are still abundant in this area today. It is also widely found around Dublin, Westmeath, Longford, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Galway and Donegal.
The Croghan family motto is “nihil sine labore”, which can be translated as ‘nothing without labour’. This reflects the hardworking, determined spirit inherent in the descendants of this proud and noble Irish clan.
Order DNA origin analysisCroghan: Where does the name Croghan come from?
The last name Croghan is most commonly found today in the United States. According to the US Census 2020, Croghan is the 1,895th most common last name in the US. The largest concentrations of the surname are found in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
A smaller number of people with the last name Croghan live in Canada, where it is the 8,028th most common surname. There are some Croghan families living in Ireland; however, the name is not particularly common there.
The last name Croghan is believed to originate in County Meath, Ireland, with the first recorded use occurring as early as 1590. Records show at least two branches of the family migrating to America in the early 17th century, one settling in New York and the other settling in Pennsylvania.
The New York Croghans made a great impact on American history; General George Croghan served in the French and Indian War, and his sister Catherine married George Rogers Clark, an American soldier who famously led the capture of Fort Vincennes.
In modern times, there has been a significant resurgence of the last name Croghan throughout the US and Canada. It is estimated that anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 individuals living in the US today bear the last name Croghan.
Variations of the surname Croghan
The surname Croghan has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. This surname is most commonly found in parts of Ireland, Scotland and England. The variants of this surname include Croghan, Croghanne, Crohan, Croohan, Croogher, Craoghan, Crockan, Corrigan and Corocker.
The Croghans were a Gaelic Leinster family in Ireland who had branches in Scotland and England. The name Croghan comes from the Gaelic surname “O’Croinin”, which means descendant of the small hound. The name also has a root in Norse and Anglo-Saxon with the surname Craghan, which translates to someone who lived near a ford.
The first recorded spelling of the surname Croghan (and all its variants) was in 1091 when a Solor Corut was documented in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. In 1225 Johannes Corachan was listed in the pipe rolls of Surrey and in 1295 William Coroghum was noted in the Subsidy rolls of Sussex.
The surname has also been found in parts of Canada, Australia, England, Ireland and the United States after the great migrations of Irish and Scottish people. This surname is still common today and there are many Croghans around the world!
Famous people with the name Croghan
- Mary Croghan: American Broadway actress
- Raymond Croghan: 17th century Irish-born landowner who owned the Seven Islands of the Ohio River
- Sir Russell Croghan: British ambassador to Nicaragua in the mid-19th century
- Robert B. Croghan Jr.: American politician and attorney from Kentucky
- John A. Croghan: World War I veteran and US federal judge from Ohio
- Annie Moore Croghan: English social reformer, children's author, and writer
- Matthew Croghan: American Revolutionary War Colonel from Pennsylvania
- Mark Croghan: Professional long-distance swimmer
- Fred Croghan: South African cricketer
- Marcus Croghan: 17th century British politician and colonial administrator