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Part of the Duggan Clan? Your Family History, Explained

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The last name “Duggan” is one of the 3,000 or so most popular surnames in the United States. That doesn’t sound very popular, but the U.S. is a big place, which means there are about 10,000 Americans — give or take — with this particular surname.

Add in variations on “Duggan” — Dugan, Dougan, Douggan, and O’Duggan, among others — and you’ve got thousands more people with similar names.

Duggans Around the World

Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, the last name “Duggan” is even more popular. It’s estimated that more than 6,000 Australians share this last name, far more on a population-adjusted basis than the United States. Among all Australian last names, Duggan is around the 600th most popular.

Duggan is nearly as popular in tiny New Zealand, where about 1,000 Kiwis share the name. The United Kingdom has nearly 10,000 Duggans, many of whom live in Northern Ireland. Other countries have smaller shares of Duggans, but hey — every person counts.

Linguistic Origins of the Duggan Family Name

Where did all those Duggans come from? The one-word answer is “Ireland,” but the full story is a bit more complicated.

The name “Duggan” is a derivative of the old Gaelic name “O Dubhaigan.” Unlike some common Irish names, the exact meaning of “O Dubhaigan” has been lost to the mists of time — we know that “dubh” means “black” in Irish, but we aren’t sure what the rest of the word means. It’s possible that it’s a modification of an earlier name, possibly in an archaic form of Gaelic or even a predecessor tongue.

Further complicating the linguistic history of the Duggan clan is the fact that there’s no evidence of standardized spelling for the name (or any Irish name) before the 19th century. Families passed the name down, of course, but poor recordkeeping meant that local officials simply recorded the name as they heard it — leading not only to the various spellings that persist today but to more “out there” early spellings like “Dewgan,” “Deegan,” and “Deugan.”

Early History of the Duggan Clan

People with the last name O Dubhaigan (Duggan) have lived in Ireland since at least the 14th century.

The first records come out of County Clare, in the west of Ireland. There, the name was associated with local royalty, and apparently the bloodline was traceable from Fergus the Great — one of the most important chieftains of medieval Ireland. The family name was also associated with King Ir, who ruled over parts of Counties Tipperary, Waterford, and Cork.

An apparently separate origin for the name Duggan — though it’s more likely that poor recordkeeping obscures the relation — occurs on the eastern part of the island, in counties Clare and Roscommon. The Duggans in this part of Ireland were notable enough to secure “naming rights” for the town of Ballyduggan, in the Loghrea area.

The Duggan Diaspora: Movin’ on Out (of Ireland)

Along with millions of other people from Ireland and northern Europe, members of the extended Duggan family sought greener pastures elsewhere in the English-speaking world beginning in the early 19th century. By this time, the Duggan name was common not only in Ireland but in Scotland and England too; many who landed in North America or Down Under came from somewhere other than Ireland.

Irish migration in particular was spurred by the Great Potato Famine, which devastated the island’s agricultural economy and put countless families on the brink of starvation. Many felt they had no choice but to leave for the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. 

People named Duggan turned up outside the British Isles even before the potato famine. Local records show an Eliz Duggan living in Virginia from about 1705 and a Catherine Duggan living in Philadelphia from about 1745, for example.

But the famine saw a surge of new arrivals, especially in North America, where nearly 250,000 Irish immigrants arrived in 1847 alone. Duggans who turned up in North America around this time include Helen, Denis, and Ellen, all of whom first appear in New York-area records in 1850.

North of the border, Duggans had established a foothold in the Canadian Maritimes by 1830, perhaps because of the relatively short distance to Ireland and the region’s cultural affinity with the British Isles (“Nova Scotia” is latin for “New Scotland,” after all). We have records of a John, Patrick, Timothy, and James Duggan arriving in Nova Scotia between 1810 and 1830, for example.

Down under, Australia and New Zealand saw considerable Duggan migration during the first half of the 19th century as well. In keeping with its reputation as a penal colony, Australia welcomed several Duggans convicted of property crimes in England: a Walter Duggan, a Margaret Duggan, and a William Duggan, all of whom were permanently banished to Australia between 1800 and 1840. Walter settled in remote Tasmania, while Margaret and William took up residence in New South Wales, near Sydney.

Across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand, newly arrived Duggans were free as soon as they touched dry land. Though a relative trickle — New Zealand’s non-Maori population remained low during the 19th century — these Duggans were important to the island’s economic development. Many were farmers or merchants who came to seek opportunity; several came from Australia, whose coastal cities were increasingly crowded by the 1850s.

Duggans Throughout History

Most historical Duggans lived in relative obscurity — working, raising families, and passing on without much fanfare. But a few rose to professional prominence or fame in their own day; others had a front-row seat to major historical events (sometimes with tragic results).

One of the most professionally renowned Duggans was Dr. David Duggan, one of the first medical providers in Newfoundland.

Other Duggans were notable for surviving deadly shipwrecks, including the Lusitania (which was torpedoed during World War I) and the Empress of Ireland.

Some others weren’t so lucky. Several Duggans died in the great Halifax Explosion of 1917, when an explosives-laden ship caught fire and exploded in the Canadian city’s harbor. This was the largest manmade explosion to date — the equivalent of a 3-kiloton nuclear bomb.

How Your Name Can Affect Your Personality

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For better or for worse, your name has shaped your life in countless ways. Since your name is typically the first thing people will learn about you, it will inevitably influence how others perceive you. So, how does this affect your personality? 

While many factors go into shaping an individual, their name is always the least expected factor that truly impacts a person’s personality. Of course, your name is not the largest contributor to your personality, but it plays a surprisingly large role.

So, something as simple as the letter that your name begins with could have played a role in how you view the world, and thus how your personality developed.

This month’s post explores some aspects of names that tend to affect how the person behaves as an individual. These characteristics of names have been directly linked to certain behaviors, according to various studies. 

Your Upbringing

When your parents first named you, they likely handpicked the name because it meant something to them. This, in turn, can be a good indication of how someone was raised. 

For example, culturally conservative parents may name their children traditional names that are appropriate to their way of life. In contrast, some progressive parents may opt to pick a more modern or unusual name for their child. 

So, for example, you could expect someone with a name like Kris Duggan to have been brought up in a fairly typical American or European household. Whereas someone named Maksim Chmerkovskiy is more likely to have been brought up outside of America — in this case, they were born and raised in Ukraine.

Now, your upbringing obviously plays a significant factor in shaping who you are as a person. So your name can be a good indication to others for what kind of person you may be.

Self-Esteem

Another surprising personality trait that could be linked to your name is your self-esteem. It’s pretty simple science: Those who experience positive interactions when sharing their name tend to have better self-esteem. Those who receive negative feedback when sharing their name pay think negatively of their name, and therefore themselves.

How someone perceives their name could occur in a variety of different ways. For example, if you have a long first name, it’s probably common for other people to misspell it. This could play a part in shaping an individual’s self-esteem. If people constantly mess up your name, you may view it as people dismissing or not paying proper attention to you or viewing you as not important enough to get your name right.  

Going back to our earlier example, an individual with the name of Kris Duggan would likely not experience people mispronouncing or misspelling his name. On the contrary, Maksim Chmerkovskiy would most certainly experience people misspelling and mispronouncing his name. 

Wrapping It Up

In short, your name does play a sizable factor in how you are perceived and how your own personality develops. That said, try not to focus too much on how your name impacts your personality, and instead focus on what you can do yourself.

Chris Duggan is a Footballer?

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Chris Duggan is a footballer (that’s soccer player for the Americans in the audience) of Scottish and Australian extraction. Born in Perth, Western Australia, he began his playing career at Queen’s Park, in Glasgow, before moving to Hamilton Academical, in South Lanarkshire. After a brief stint playing in the United States, he returned to Scotland and notched an impressive showing at Irvine Meadow. His adult professional career formally began in 2013; he played for Partick Thistle for three years (much of it spent on loan to other clubs) and then bounced around a bit before landing at East Fife in 2019.

Christopher Duggan – Happy to Assist Clients!

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Christopher R. Duggan is a senior attorney in Dorsey’s Tax Group, where he advises clients on strategies to minimize exposure to sales and use, business and occupation, state and local income, and excise taxes. Mr. Duggan’s clients include international retailers and e-commerce companies that do business in hundreds of separate tax jurisdictions. It’s a complicated business, but someone has to do it!

Christopher R. Duggan is also a pro when it comes to federal tax issues, including credits like the New Markets Tax Credit. And he’s only too happy to assist clients with audits, appeals, and matters related to Section 1031 exchanges.

Stay Safe, Chris Duggan!

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Chris Duggan has one of the more exciting — and dangerous — jobs in our clan. He’s a bona fide Hollywood stuntman who appears to specialize in slam-bang action work. Major film credits include Get Carter (2000), Dreamcatcher (2003) and First Wave (1998), according to his IMDB page, but he’s busier than that limited filmography lets on. Mr. Duggan wasn’t available to comment on what the life of a professional stuntperson actually involves, but we can safely assume that it’s far more exciting than whatever you or I happen to do for a living. To our man in Hollywood, we say: Stay safe, Mr. Duggan!

Chris Duggan – British Illustrator and Portraitist

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Chris Duggan is a British illustrator and portraitist whose works have appeared in numerous publications over the decades: Punch, Vogue, Time Out, The Financial Times, The European, and more. Full-length books to his credit include “Conned!( a History of Scams, 

Frauds and Scandals)” and “Hic! The Entire History of Wine” — which sounds like a delightful, intoxicating read, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Mr. Duggan’s work is apparently impressive enough to earn notice from some of Britain’s most prestigious cultural institutions. His illustrations, according to his website, have been featured in the collections of the Bank of England Museum, the Cartoon Museum, and the British Cartoon Archive, among others.

Kris, Christopher, Chris and More: Where Did These Names Come From, Anyway?

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We’re willing to bet you’ve idly wondered where your name comes from more than once. Perhaps you’re truly fascinated by the history of your name, whether it’s Kris Duggan or a close variation thereof, or something entirely different.

Because we don’t have all day, we’ll limit this discussion to the history of the name “Kris” and close variations, such as Chris, Christopher, Kristian, Christian, Christina, and more. As it turns out — and perhaps you already suspected this — they have more in common than you might imagine.

Origins of the Name Christopher 

The name Christopher dates back to Greece in the early Common Era. The original Greek name was Christophoros, which translates literally to “bearer of Christ.” 

Clearly, “Christophers” weren’t around in the days of the ancient Greeks, whose heyday predates the time of Christ by several centuries. By the time the name “Christophoros” rolled around, Greece was in the process of “Christianizing” — that is, immersed in a cultural exchange that would eventually push out the old polytheistic structure and replace it with monotheistic Christianity. Saint Christopher is widely credited with popularizing the name, but there was no guarantee that it would spread at the time.

And Christian? Well, That Makes Sense

Even more so than Christopher, “Christian” is quite clearly bound up in the Christian religious tradition. Originating nearly simultaneously in various parts of Europe (though apparently with the greatest density in northern Europe and Scandinavia) during the late Middle Ages, this name was just as it sounded: a signifier that the bearer was a member of the Christian faith. It should be noted that “Kristian,” a common variation to this day, was the spelling of choice in Scandinavian precincts.

Common Variations of Christopher and Christian (As in “Chris Duggan”)

Part of what makes the study of names so interesting is accounting for the linguistic variations in common names. “Christophoros” remains uncommon beyond the Greek-speaking regions, of course, but variations on it exist in virtually every corner of the Western world. So, depending on where you’re from, you might know your fellow “Christophoroses” as:

  • Christoph (Germany)
  • Cristofor (Romania)
  • Christophe (France)
  • Kristof (Dutch)
  • Kristoffer (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)

The same goes “Christian” (often spelled “Kristian,” as we noted) and “Christina”:

  • Cristian and Cristina (Spain, Italy, Portugal, and other countries)
  • Cristiona (Ireland)
  • Kristina (Sweden)

And, of course, these names often exist in shortened form. (See: Kris Duggan.) In some countries, Cristinas or Christinas are more commonly known as Cris or Cristi; ditto for Christophers and Kristophers (Chris and Kris, respectively).

Names Are Funny Things

Well, that just about wraps our discussion of the origins of the name(s) that may or may not have brought you to this website today. We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about where your own name comes from. If you’re not a member of the extended Kris/Chris/Cris family, we encourage you to learn more about your own name’s history and meaning. You might discover something you never knew about yourself.

You Share a Name With a Household Name. What’s to Be Done?

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If you’re reading this, fellow Kris Duggan, you know what it’s like to share a name in common. But what if your name-ganger (like doppelganger, but for names) happens to be someone more famous than yourself? 

Must you be consigned to a life lived in the shadow of a fairer, better-known person? Or is it within your abilities to turn this association to your advantage and embrace the awesome power of name recognition?

Our bets are on the latter. Here are some ideas to make the most of your name association with a celebrity name-ganger — past or present.

Get to Know Your Famous Name-ganger Better

Under ordinary circumstances, the person with whom you share a full name may not be someone to whom you’d pay any special attention. But these aren’t ordinary circumstances. 

Read up on your name-ganger; Wikipedia is a good start, but probably should not be your only resource. Learn more about their background, what they’re famous for, their lifestyle, and any extracurricular activities or causes for which they’re known.

Figure Out How Popular (And Likable) They Really Are

Tease out how popular this person really is. Not every famous person is equally well-liked or well-regarded. In certain domains, such as politics and sports, you’ll find characters that “enjoy” near-universal revulsion. 

Elsewhere, it’s just as common to find public figures with remarkably high “Q” scores — a key measure of personal likability used in show business. How well your name-ganger comes off is important to your treatment of the association.

Identify at Least One Thing You Do Better Than Them

Next, turn the tables on your name-ganger by identifying at least one thing you do better than them and emphasizing this difference in your personal branding. Since you’re unlikely to work in the same profession as your name-ganger, this could be as easy as calling yourself a better lawyer or nurse or economist than whatever start of the screen or page or stage you happen to share a name with.

Call Them Out by Name, But Know Where the Line Lies

While we’ve thus far assumed that it’s best to lean into your name association with a particular famous person, it’s important not to take things too far. You don’t want a good-natured running joke to turn into fodder for a lawsuit. Above all else, be respectful of your name-ganger’s privacy and humanity, just as you’d prefer them to be of yours.

Keep Your Head Up — It’s Yours, After All

In the end, you are your own Kris Duggan (or whatever your name happens to be). No one can take that away from you, not even the far more famous person with whom you happen to share a first and last name.

The last thing you want to do is permit an inferiority complex to take root. Sure, you might never be as well-known as your name-ganger, but you still have much to be proud of. Name recognition isn’t the only measure of personal or professional success.

So, while it’s perfectly acceptable to lean into your celebrity association, you should resist allowing that association to define you. There’s so much more to your story than a mere accident of birth.

Do you share a name with a famous person? How do you handle the burden?

Kris Duggan in the South Too!

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Kris Duggan – Jackson, TN 

Mr. Kris Duggan is an all-American guy from the close-knit town of Jackson, Tennessee, conveniently located between Nashville (Music City USA!) and Memphis (home of the Delta Blues, of course).

Mr. Duggan works for FedEx, one of the region’s largest employers (and proud to call nearby Memphis its global headquarters). His job sometimes keeps him out on the road for hours or days at a time, but that doesn’t get him down — he takes solace in knowing that, without him, folks would have to wait longer for holiday gifts, birthday presents, and “just-because” purchases.

Kris Duggan in Italy?

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Kristen Duggan – Emilia-Romagna, Italy 

Kristen Duggan doesn’t always go by “Kris Duggan,” but that’s no matter. She’s a proud resident of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, an absolutely stunning region of rolling foothills and verdant plains straddling the divide between the Alps and Apennines, Italy’s two largest mountain ranges.

Ms. Duggan lives between the waterlogged medieval metropolis of Venice and the storybook university town of Bologna; some days, she can’t decide which she loves more. When she’s not exploring the mountains or hitting one of her favorite Adriatic beaches, she’s probably out exploring northern Italy with her partner.