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Show ContentsMadigan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Ireland
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Etymology of Madigan

What does the name Madigan mean?

The surname Madigan originally appeared in Gaelic as "Mac an Mhadaidh," which is probably derived from the word "madadh," which means "warrior, dog." 1

Another source claims the family claim descent through Owen Buac, brother of Owen Fionn, ancestor of O'Madadhain, of Connaught, slain, 1008; Anglicized O'Madden, Madden. The Madden family of Longford, County Galway, the O'Madden family of Balbriggan, County Dublin and the Madden family of Ulster are all branches of the original. 2

Alternatively, the name could have been from "descendant of little Matthew (gift of Jehovah.)" 3

Early Origins of the Madigan family

The surname Madigan was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

We did find this interesting entry for the Mudrigan variant in the parish of St. Martin, Cornwall, England: "Although this parish contains no manor, Mudgian is said formerly to have had manorial rights, when it belonged to a family of this name, and was their seat. From the Mudgians it passed with an heiress in marriage to the Chynoweths." 4

Early History of the Madigan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Madigan research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1556, 1567, 1677, 1713 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Madigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Madigan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacAvaddy, Madden, O'Madden, Madigan, Macavadan and others.

Early Notables of the Madigan family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Madigan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Madigan Ranking

In the United States, the name Madigan is the 4,899th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Madigan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Madigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James, John, Thomas, Walter Madigan, who arrived in Philadelphia and Boston in 1804
  • John Madigan, who landed in Maine in 1811 6
  • Walter Madigan, who landed in Maine in 1811 6
  • William Madigan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 6
  • Judy Madigan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Madigan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Madigan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Martin Madigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1841
  • Mr. Daniel Madigan, aged 22 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Superior" departing from the port of Londonderry, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 7
  • Mr. James Madigan, aged 55 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wandsworth" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in May 1847 7
  • Mr. John Madigan, aged 35 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wandsworth" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 7
  • Mr. John Madigan, aged 55 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wandsworth" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Madigan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Madigan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Michael Madigan, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 8
  • Thomas Madigan, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 8
  • Ellen Madigan, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 8
  • Honora Madigan, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Emerald Isle" 9
  • John Madigan, aged 48, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Nugget" 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Madigan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Madigan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Murtagh Madigan, British settler as part of the 8th Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 11
  • Mrs. Sarah Madigan, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 11
  • Mr. John Madigan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "John Scott" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 7th March 1858 12
  • Julia Madigan, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1878
  • Martin Madigan, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1879
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Madigan (post 1700) +

  • Roger A. Madigan (1930-2018), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1977-1984), Member of the Pennsylvania Senate (1985-2008)
  • Bernice Madigan (1899-2015), American supercentenarian, the oldest living resident of Massachusetts, she died aged 115 years, 163 days
  • Edward Patrick "Slip" Madigan (1896-1966), American college football player at Notre Dame University
  • Michael Madigan (b. 1942), American politician from Illinois, congressman
  • Lisa Madigan (b. 1966), American politician from Illinois, Illinois state Attorney General
  • Kathleen Madigan (b. 1965), American television comedian
  • Edward Rell Madigan (1936-1994), American politician from Illinois, congressman and Secretary of Agriculture
  • Amy Madigan (b. 1950), American actress
  • John Madigan (1946-2023), Irish hurler and rugby union player from Charleville, Ireland
  • Cornelius Dennis "Mad Dog" Madigan (1934-2024), Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 20 games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues during the 1972–73 season
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Frank Rock Slide
  • Mr. D. Madigan, "Martingan", Canadian resident of Frank, Alberta who was buried in the Frank Rock Slide on 29th April 1903 13
RMS Titanic
  • Miss Margaret "Maggie" Madigan, aged 21, Irish Third Class passenger from Askeaton, Limerick who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived in the sinking in life boat 15 14
USS Indianapolis
  • Harry Francis Madigan, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 15
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 40)
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque FATIMA 1850, 521 tons. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Fatima.htm
  9. South Australian Register Tuesday 17th January 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Emerald Isle 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/emeraldisle1854.shtml
  10. South Australian Register Tuesday 4th July 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Nugget 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/nugget1854.shtml
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. Calgary Herald news article retrieved 11th August 2021. Retrieved from https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/calgaryherald/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Calgary_Herald_Thu__Apr_30__1903_-copy-scaled.jpg
  14. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  15. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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