Explore the Family Name O’regan

The meaning of O’regan

Irish (Cork and Limerick): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Riagain ‘descendant of Riagán’, a personal name which is perhaps akin to ríodhgach ‘impulsive, furious’. There are two major families of this surname, in Meath and Munster; traditionally they both claim descent from a nephew of Brian Boru called Riagán (see Regan). Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Aidan, Brennan, Briana, Colm, Conor, Declan, Donal.

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

How common is the last name O’regan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname O'Regan has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 24,827th in popularity but by 2010, its rank increased to 22,689th, an increase by approximately 8.61%. The number of individuals with this surname also increased from 941 in 2000 to 1,130 in 2010, marking a rise of 20.09%. The proportion per 100k people also grew from 0.35 to 0.38 during this time period, indicating a surge of 8.57%.

20002010Change
Rank#24,827#22,6898.61%
Count9411,13020.09%
Proportion per 100k0.350.388.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O’regan

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the O'Regan surname. It shows that the majority of people with this surname identified as White, although there was a decrease of about 1.43% from 96.60% in 2000 to 95.22% in 2010. There was also a noticeable increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which went from 0.64% in 2000 to 1.42% in 2010, showcasing a change of 121.87%. The Hispanic population with the O'Regan surname also saw a growth of 20.42%, going from 1.91% to 2.3%. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races also rose from 0.53% to 0.88%, a 66.04% change. However, there were no individuals who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White96.6%95.22%-1.43%
Hispanic1.91%2.3%20.42%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.64%1.42%121.87%
Two or More Races0.53%0.88%66.04%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%