Explore the Family Name Gahagan
The meaning of Gahagan
Irish: from Mag Eachagáin, see Gavigan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gahagan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gahagan has seen a slight decrease over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Gahagan ranked as the 15,369th most common surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to 16,125th place, marking a decline of roughly 5%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Gahagan surname increased marginally by 2.4%, from 1,753 in 2000 to 1,795 in 2010. The proportion of Gahagans per 100k people also experienced a modest decrease, dropping by 6.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,369 | #16,125 | -4.92% |
| Count | 1,753 | 1,795 | 2.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.65 | 0.61 | -6.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gahagan
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts among those carrying the Gahagan surname between 2000 and 2010. A strong majority identifies as White, with a slight decrease of 0.4% over the decade. Those identifying as having two or more ethnicities showed the largest jump, with an increase of 154.41%. The percentage of Gahagans identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased significantly by 39.19%. There was also a decrease in those identifying as Black (13.16%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (2.94%). Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic saw a modest increase of 16.78%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.24% | 91.87% | -0.4% |
| Black | 4.56% | 3.96% | -13.16% |
| Two or More Races | 0.68% | 1.73% | 154.41% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 1.67% | 16.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 0.45% | -39.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.34% | 0.33% | -2.94% |