Berrigan — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: O Bearagain
Meaning: uncertain, related to the same root as Bergin
Traditional stronghold: Offaly, Leitrim
Pronunciation: BER-ih-gan
History of the Berrigan name
Berrigan is a variant anglicisation sharing its root with Bergin, associated with the midlands and north Connacht border counties of Offaly and Leitrim. It remained a rare surname in Ireland itself, but became internationally recognised through an Irish-American family whose two priest sons became leading figures in the Catholic anti-war movement of the 1960s and 70s, staging high-profile protests against the Vietnam War, including the burning of draft records.
Variants: Bergin (related) · Berigan
Famous bearers of the name
- Daniel Berrigan — Irish-American Jesuit priest and prominent Vietnam War-era peace activist
- Philip Berrigan — Irish-American Catholic priest and anti-war activist, brother of Daniel
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Dunne · Carroll · Mooney · Hennessy · Clancy · Dempsey · Molloy · Coughlan