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Colgan Family History

Colgan Name Meaning

Irish (Offaly and Kildare Tyrone) and Scottish (Lanarkshire): shortened form of McColgan or an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Colgáin ‘descendant of Colga’ a personal name based on colg ‘thorn sword’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Coogan, Mccolgan, Cogan, Corgan, Coggan, Logan, Colman, Colen, Cowan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Colgan family from?

You can see how Colgan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colgan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colgan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 135 Colgan families living in Lancashire. This was about 48% of all the recorded Colgan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Colgan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colgan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Colgan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Colgan. 41% of Colgan men worked as a General Labourer and 81% of Colgan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colgan were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Colgan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    41%
  • Dock Labourer
    19%
  • Barman
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Cook
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Colgan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Colgan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colgan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Colgan

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Colgan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Colgan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Colgan. For the veterans among your Colgan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Colgan military records

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What is the average Colgan lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Colgan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Colgan in 1951 was 41, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colgan

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