Surname Berrigan - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'B'
Berrigan: What does the surname Berrigan mean?
The last name Berrigan is of Irish origin. The Gaelic form of the name derived from the family's residence in County Clare is Ó Bairrcheáin. The Clan Bairrche is known to have belonged to the septs of the ancient Corcu Duibne tribe, one of the four chief families of the saints of Munster.
One of the most famous people with the surname Berrigan was the American poet and mentor, Daniel Berrigan. His work focused on peace, justice, and non-violence in protesting the Vietnam War, as well as advocating anti-nuclear stance. He and his brother Phillip founded the Catholic Peace Movement.
The Berrigan name has become a symbol of courage and determination. It stands for an unwavering commitment to justice, compassion, and peace, ideals for which Daniel and many others who followed in his steps have risked their lives for in their many protests and acts of civil disobedience.
The Berrigan family crest is of two crossed arrows, which symbolize the strength and courage to continue the fight for justice. The motto, “Fidelis et Fortis” means faithful and strong, two compelling values that continue to echo in the Berrigan name today.
Order DNA origin analysisBerrigan: Where does the name Berrigan come from?
The last name Berrigan is most commonly found in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Today, there are estimated to be over 10,000 people with the surname Berrigan in the United States. In the United States, the surname Berrigan is found primarily in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It is common in counties such as Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery.
In the United Kingdom, the largest populations of Berrigans can be found in the city of Manchester, especially in the districts of Salford and Trafford. London is also home to a significant number of Berrigans. While the name is more sparsely spread across the rest of the UK, it can be found in nearly every county.
On the other side of the world, in Australia, there are an estimated 1,000 people who bear the surname Berrigan. The name can be found in all of the country’s states and territories, however, it is most prominent in the southern states of Victoria and New South Wales. As with the United States and UK, it is more densely concentrated in larger cities, such as Melbourne and Sydney.
Overall, the surname Berrigan has a strong presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. While most of the people with the last name live in these three countries, a small number of people with the surname can also be found in other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Berrigan
The surname Berrigan is of Irish origin and is an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname O'Birgéin, which derives from the Gaelic word bioróidéan meaning ‘a sharp sword’. Over the centuries, the surname has been subject to numerous spelling variations including Birrigan, Birgyne, Bergine, and Bergen.
In America, the descendants of the early Irish settlers have also adopted certain variations, including Berrigan, Beringson, Beraning, Beirnageson, Bearingson, Beirnidine, Bernigian, O'Biragen, O'Birgine, O'Bergen, O'Berngen, O'Beranghin and O'Bergingham.
In England, a variation of the surname is Beringham and elsewhere in the world the spellings include Berighan, Beringhaten, Beringhton, Berigman and Beirgen.
More recently, Berrigan has become an accepted spelling for a variety of lower case and uppercase including Berman, Berrien, Berriker, Berrikan and Berrick.
Other variants of the Berrigan surname have also been adopted to reflect religious or ethnic difference such as Beringer (Jewish), Byrgen (German) and Berenger (French).
Despite the many spelling variations of the surname, Berrigan is still the most common spelling of the name and the surname remains predominantly Irish.
Famous people with the name Berrigan
- Philip Berrigan: a Catholic priest, peace activist, and social justice campaigner who was arrested twenty-nine times in nonviolent protests.
- Daniel Berrigan: a Jesuit priest and long-time peace activist. He was also arrested 26 times for anti-war protests.
- Frida Berrigan: the daughter of Philip and Elizabeth McAlister, she is a peace activist and a senior research associate at the World Policy Institute.
- Anthony Berrigan: the second of the four Berrigan brothers, he was an activist for civil rights, liberation theology, and the anti-war movement, and a Maryknoll priest.
- John E. Berrigan: a civil rights leader and founding member of the National Organization for Civil Rights.
- Elizabeth McAlister: wife of Philip Berrigan and a Catholic peace activist.
- Mary Gail Berrigan: daughter of Philip and Elizabeth McAlister, she is the former executive director of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in San Francisco.
- Paul Berrigan: the third of the four Berrigan brothers, he was a Jesuit priest and activist for civil rights, Vietnam War protesters, and nuclear disarmament.
- Howard Berrigan: the youngest of the four Berrigan brothers, he was active in the anti-Vietnam War movement and was arrested for draft resistance.
- Neil Berrigan: the fourth of the four Berrigan brothers, he was an artist, teacher, and social activist who was involved in protests against the Vietnam War.