Horgan — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó hArgáin
Meaning: 'descendant of Argán'
Traditional stronghold: Cork, Kerry
Pronunciation: HOR-gun; Irish Ó hArgáin: oh HAR-gawn
History of the Horgan name
Ó hArgáin descends from an old personal name, Argán, of uncertain meaning. The surname belongs almost entirely to southwest Munster: it has been concentrated in Cork and Kerry for centuries and remains so today, with Horrigan a common variant spelling and Organ a rarer one found in Waterford. Never a great territorial sept, the Horgans were nonetheless a numerous and enduring farming and townspeople's name in the Cork region. Modern bearers have given it wide visibility, from Shane Horgan's tries for Ireland at Lansdowne Road and Croke Park to Sharon Horgan's award-winning television comedies.
Variants: Horrigan · Organ
Famous bearers of the name
- Sharon Horgan — Writer and actress behind Catastrophe and Bad Sisters.
- Shane Horgan — Ireland rugby wing, scorer of a famous late try against England at Twickenham in 2006.
- John Horgan — Journalist, historian of the Irish media and first Press Ombudsman of Ireland.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · Daly · O'Connell · Collins · Fitzgerald