Explore the Family Name Cagan

The meaning of Cagan

1. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Cohen. 2. Slovak (mainly Cagáň, also Cagaň): nickname from Slovak cagaň ‘young, unmarried man’. The surname Cagáň is also found in Czechia. 3. Czech (Čagan): nickname from dialect čagan ‘hatchet on a stick’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Isadore, Reuven, Shimon, Sholom.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cagan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Cagan" has decreased over time. In 2000, "Cagan" ranked 57,544 in terms of popularity and had a count of 331, representing a proportion per 100,000 of 0.12. By 2010, the rank had fallen to 65,066, a decrease of 13.07%. The count also dropped to 305, marking a decline of 7.85%. The surname's overall proportion per 100,000 people likewise saw a decrease, dropping by 16.67% to 0.1.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#57,544	#65,066	-13.07%
Count	331	305	-7.85%
Proportion per 100k	0.12	0.1	-16.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cagan

The data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals changes in the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Cagan" between 2000 and 2010. During this period, a slight increase was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising to 1.64%. However, there were no changes reported for individuals identifying with two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native. Those identifying as White constituted the majority, though their representation did decrease from 84.29% to 78.69%. There was an increase in the number of people identifying as Hispanic, from 4.53% to 5.25%, while those identifying as Black also rose, from 9.97% to 13.11%.

	2000	2010	Change
White	84.29%	78.69%	-6.64%
Black	9.97%	13.11%	31.49%
Hispanic	4.53%	5.25%	15.89%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	1.64%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%