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Irish surname

Rogan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Ruadhagáin · 'descendant of Ruadhagán' (a diminutive of ruadh, red)

Woulfe (1923) gives the plain form Rogan (also 'O Rogane') under Ó Ruadhagáin, 'descendant of Ruadhagán' (a diminutive of ruadh, red), the name of an Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Eathach, or Tuath Eathach, 'a district embracing the present barony of Armagh', and 'common in Ulster and Connacht'. A second entry, Ó Ruadhacháin (Roughan, Roohan, Rohan, Rowan), which Woulfe calls 'a variant of Ó Ruadhagáin', prints '(Rogan)' only in brackets; he adds that its anglicised forms 'cannot always be distinguished' from those of Ó Robhacháin. In 1890, 24 Rogan birth entries were registered in Ireland, principally found in Antrim, Down and Leitrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the Rogan surname
Irish formÓ Ruadhagáin
Meaning'descendant of Ruadhagán' (a diminutive of ruadh, red)
CountiesArmagh, Antrim, Down, Leitrim
Other spellings5

Origin of the Rogan name

Woulfe: Ó Ruadhagáin — 'O Rogane, Rogan'; the name of an Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Eathach, or Tuath Eathach, 'a district embracing the present barony of Armagh'; 'common in Ulster and Connacht'. Also written Ó Ruadhacháin, which see.[2]

  1. 1086Four Masters: 'The battle of Eochaill was gained by the Ulidians over the Airghialla and Ua Ruadhagain.'[4]
  2. 1099Four Masters: 'Ruaidhri Ua Ruadhagain, lord of the east of Oirghialla,' died in his fortieth year as chieftain.[5]
  3. 1179Four Masters: 'O'Rogan, Lord of Iveagh, died of three nights sickness.'[6]
  4. 189024 Rogan birth entries registered in Ireland; principally found in Antrim, Down, Leitrim.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. ArmaghOriel chiefs of Ui Eathach, 'a district embracing the present barony of Armagh' (Woulfe).[2]
Co. Antrim1890 Rogan births 'principally found' here (Matheson).[3]
Co. Down1890 Rogan births 'principally found' here (Matheson).[3]
Co. Leitrim1890 Rogan births 'principally found' here (Matheson).[3]

Other spellings

O Rogane · Roughan · Roohan · Rohan · Rowan[2]

The Rogan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Rogan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Rogan crest gifts

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Rogan surname: questions

What does the surname Rogan mean?

Woulfe derives Rogan from Ó Ruadhagáin, 'descendant of Ruadhagán' (a diminutive of ruadh, red). A second entry, Ó Ruadhacháin, which he calls 'a variant of Ó Ruadhagáin', also carries the form, but only in brackets.[1][2]

Where in Ireland does the Rogan name come from?

Woulfe: the Ó Ruadhagáin were an Oriel family, chiefs of Ui Eathach (Tuath Eathach), 'a district embracing the present barony of Armagh', and 'common in Ulster and Connacht'; Matheson's 1890 figures show Rogan principally found in Antrim, Down and Leitrim.[2][3]

Are Rogan and Rowan the same name?

Woulfe lists Rowan among the forms of Ó Ruadhacháin, which he calls 'a variant of Ó Ruadhagáin' and under which he prints '(Rogan)' in brackets. He also warns that Ó Ruadhacháin's anglicised forms 'cannot always be distinguished' from those of a third name, Ó Robhacháin. The Four Masters' 'O'Rowan' of Leyny is glossed by O'Donovan as O'Ruadhain, which no source opened connects to Ó Ruadhagáin.[1]

Is O'Rogan a form of Rogan?

Yes. Woulfe's Ó Ruadhagáin entry prints 'O Rogane', and the Annals of the Four Masters record an 'O'Rogan, Lord of Iveagh,' who died in 1179.[2][6]

Sources

  1. Ó Ruadhacháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/or/o-ruadhachain.php
  2. Ó Ruadhagáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/or/o-ruadhagain.php
  3. Rogan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/rogan.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1086 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text019.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1099 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text020.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1179 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text001.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).