DORGAN FAMILY REGISTRY

The information on this page is intended to simplify the search for DORGAN families throughout the world. It is likely true that the families presented here all at one time originated in Ireland, but during the 17th Century, many families relocated to the United States and Canada. The names were spelled differently throughout Ireland , Canada, Australia and the US, some variations: DARGON, DARGIN, DORGIN, DARGEN, DARRIGAN, DORRIGAN, DERAGIN, and I am sure many more. Please join us in submitting your DORGAN family information so that all may learn about this wonderful Irish Family.

ORIGIN OF SURNAME DORGAN/DARGAN

From correspondence with Stephen DORGAN, IRELAND, 1997:

"The Dorgan surname is derived from the Irish surname O/Dearga/in (the / is the best available attempt I can make here as an accent on the vowel.) The Irish name literally means the "the grandson of the little red man". The O/ prefix means "descended from", or "of" (i.e. "grandson"), while the prefix Mac (in Irish as in Scots Gaelic) means "the son of".

The feminine form of the surname is Ni/Dhearga/in. A lovely soft sounding name that is I think more pleasing to the ear sounding than the masculine. But unfortunately if you don't speak Gaelic that's probably a very academic point. The reasons you don't find too many Dorgans is because the Irish name has a 2nd form. No doubt you know that for a long time when the English ruled Ireland it was illegal to use your Irish name, so all names were "translated" into English. In Cork and the rest of Munster, the name was translated to Dorgan while in Leinster the name was translated to Dargan. This makes perfect sense if you are familiar with Gaelic and the accents in these regions.

You will find a reference to the name Dorgan/Dargan in "Irish Families" or "More Irish Families", the eminal texts on Irish surnames written by Dr. Edward McLysacht (who incidentally was my Great Uncle.) You probably won't find the name in other books as they are invariably written for American tourists researching their roots, and so only include the largest family names. McLysacht was Chief Herald of Ireland (all the English titles and heraldic laws still exist there) and a renowned scholar with a mind like a steel trap even when in his 90s. He had a love of the Irish Language and its people and was undoubtedly the greatest scholar of modern history in this area.

In this book you will find the Dorgans (O/Dearga/in) are in fact one of the ancient Irish families. Many "Irish" surnames are in fact Norman or Scandinavian in origin as a result of various waves of invasions of Ireland. However, The O/Dearga/in were a minor sept (ancient Irish families didn't have "clans" like the Scots, but "septs" where different families could actually have the same surname for completely different reasons). They did not wield the power that the famous large families did, and so figure little in the Annals. However, I believe they are mentioned in the Ta/in (ancient Irish text) and so their existence in pre-English and Norman Ireland is recognized and well acknowledged.

The name Dorgan is also immortalized in the place name Ballydorgan in Co. Cork. This could suggest that your forbearers were from Cork because the Irish for Ballydorgan is Baile Ui/Dhearga/in (if my grammar is correct) which translates as "the town land of the Dorgans". This is also a reflection of the "Dorgan" origins in the south of Ireland as opposed to "Dargan" in the east."

AUSTRALIAN RECORDS AND RESOURCES

CANADIAN RECORDS AND RESOURCES

The National Archives of Canada
Canadian Immigration Index - InGeneas
Immigrants at Grosse-�le
Canadian Border Crossings - St. Alban's Lists
Research Guide to Canadian Passenger Records
Peter Robinson Assisted Emigrants to Canada
Geographic Locations in Canada
Pangman SK CANADA - entire cemetery listing including many Dorgan burials
British Columbia Genealogy

IRISH RECORDS AND RESOURCES

The National Archives Of Ireland
Cork Graveyards
Guide to Tracing Irish Families
Pigot & Co's Provincial Directory of Ireland, Munster 1824
Timeline of Irish History - Fianna Website
East Cork Map - townships
Cork Civil Parish, Barony and Poor Law Union - cross reference list
Cork Civil Parish - Catholic Parish cross reference list
Cobh Genealogical Project - Computerized Anglican Church Records

US RECORDS AND RESOURCES

DORGAN ARRIVALS FROM IRELAND TO BOSTON 1848-1891
DORGAN ARRIVALS FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO NEW YORK 1851-1891 - in progress - more names coming
DORGAN ARRIVALS TO ALL PORTS - ships manifest records
ANCESTRY. COM
DORGAN From East County Cork to Rhode Island - A Wonderful site by my friend Bill Dorgan - devoted to East County Cork and the Patrick Dorgan descendants from Ballycoton, Co. Cork, IRE
US City Directories
UK Family Records- Births, Marriages & Deaths , Census information from the UK
Jersey Channel Island Dorgans

DORGANS of NOTE AND BOOKS ABOUT DORGAN/DARGAN

William Dargan, 1799 - 1867 Railway Contractor, Ireland - a biography
Dorgon (多爾袞 duō ěr gǔn) (November 17 1612�December 31 1650), also known as Ho�oi Mergen Cin Wang (和碩睿親王)
The Long, Long Ago - a biography written by Anna Dorgan Owens in 1963 at age 90. This very interesting biography tells all about Anna Dorgan Owens in Sauk Co., and Bear Creek WI - submitted by Michael Nee, a grandson, Feb 2004
Edward Vincent Dargin - Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of New York, Titular Bishop of Amphipolis born 1898 NY died 1981 - NY

Contact Website Administrator Shirley Dorgan to contribute your Dorgan information to this exciting project!

Updated Tuesday November 06, 2007

DORGAN FAMILY REGISTRY � 1998 Shirley Dorgan

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