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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.

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.

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.

To Shorten or Not to Shorten? What to Expect When You’re Expecting (To Name Your New Child)

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First of all, congratulations! You’re about to welcome a new child into the world.

That’s a big deal. As you’re well aware, for parents, a new child is a one-way ticket to a life forever changed. 

One of the many, many things you’re going to need to think about between now and whenever your child arrives is what to call the baby.

You probably have some names picked out already. Maybe a couple sex-specific names each, or names specific to just one sex if you know what it’s going to be. 

There’s a pretty good chance that those names are formal. Or, if you’d prefer not to think of them that way, that they’re longer versions of more commonly used names. Commonly shortened names, you might say.

If that’s the case, you might ask, why not just start your kid off with the shorter name on their birth certificate? They can always go by the longer version, if they really want, or even legally change their name when they get old enough. But if the alternative is choosing “Kris Duggan” over “Christopher Duggan” or “Kat Simmons” over “Katherine Simmons” from age six onward, what’s the point of Christopher or Katherine to begin with?

Fair question. Let’s walk through it.

The Advantages of a Longer/Full Name for Your Child

Call it the “traditionalist” case. You might want to choose a longer or “full” name for your child because:

 

  • It’s a family name. Sure, most people go by “Chris” these days. But what if you want to honor your child’s grandfather Christopher Duggan with a full-on “Christopher”? You should have that right.
  • It sounds better in professional settings. You might think traditional names look better on a business card or letterhead. That’s a valid opinion.
  • It has a nice ring to it. Longer names tend to be more sonorous than monosyllabic nicknames or shortenings. Your mileage may vary, though.
  • It has a history. If you’re big on the history of names, you have every right to choose one whose pedigree stretches back centuries (or longer).

 

The Upsides of Shortening From the Start

Here’s the “revisionist” case for choosing a shorter name or nickname for your kid right from the beginning:

 

  • It rolls off the tongue better. Shorter names and common nicknames are faster and easier to say than longer names, especially family names no longer in common use (or subject to mispronunciation).
  • It’s more friendly-sounding. Short names are more casual and friendly-sounding. Again, that might be a good or bad thing in your book, but it is what it is.
  • It’s less likely to need a nickname. Short names might not be nickname-proof, but they’re definitely less likely to require one.

 

It’s Your Call

Okay, let’s step back for a moment. We’ve covered many of the pros and cons of shortening (or not shortening!) your new child’s name. This is the point where we recenter the conversation on those who’ll actually be making the decision — that’s you, your partner (if you have one), and eventually, your child. 

Ultimately, whether you shorten or decline to shorten your kid’s name is your call. You have the support of your fellow Kris Duggans in either case.

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.