Cregan Surname History

I have found several spelling variations for this surname besides the most common Irish spelling 'Cregan', including but not limited to:

Cragen, Cragan, Cragon, Cragun, Cragin, Craigan, Craigen, Craigin, Craigon, Craggen, Craggin, Creighen, Creigan, Creighan, Creighen, Cregen, Cregon, Cregin, Cregun, Creagan, Creagen, Creagin, Creagon, Creegan, Cregeen, Creghan, Creghen, Creghan, Crogan, Croggan, Crogen, Croggin and Croghan.

Whew! Though my branch of Cregans officially adopted the 'Craigen' version after emigration, 'Cragen' was recorded on a Canadian land grant for Ellen, wife of Denis. Furthermore, both Patrick & Denis are recorded in the 1871 Canadian census as 'Creighen'.

If you found that last interesting, you might also enjoy reading the respected & oft quoted Irish surname historian, Dr. Edward MacLysaght's (1887-1986) history of our name:

According to MacFirbis, O'Crean and O'Cregan are synonymous, Crehan again being a variant of Crean. In Irish Crean and Crehan are Ó Croidheáin (spelt Ó Craidhen by the Four Masters) and Creegan or Cregan is Ó Croidheagáin. These families formed a minor sept of the Cineal Eoghan belonging to Donegal, with a branch in the neighbouring county of Sligo. They are twice mentioned by the Four Masters as wealthy merchants, which is somewhat unusual in the Annals: in 1506 as of Co. Donegal: in 1572 as of Sligo. The Clongowes manuscript “The State of Ireland in 1598” gives them a higher status: the then head of the family was John O'Crean of Ballynegare, and in another place in the manuscript O'Crean of Annagh is stated to have been one of the leading families of Co. Sligo in the sixteenth century. According to the “Annals of Loch Cé” the Bishop of Elphin in 1582 was an O'Crean, but he was “removed” in 1584. Father Daniel O'Crean (d. c. 1616) of Holy Cross, Sligo, was Provincial of the Dominican order in a period of intensive persecution.

The form Crehan is usual in Co. Galway; in Co. Mayo these are called Crean, Grehan and even Graham. Creegan alone of these variants can be said to belong now to Co. Sligo. Crean is mostly found to-day in south-west Munster, but families of the name in Kerry and Cork are in most cases Creen, recte Curreen, i.e. Ó Corraidhín. A further complication in regard to the name Crean arises from the fact that Ó Corráin, normally Curran in English, has become Crean in some places. The arms illustrated in Plate VI are those of O'Crean of Donegal and Sligo and do not belong to the Creans of Munster.

“The Annals of the Four Masters” is a compilation of the oral histories of Irish kings recorded from ancient times to 1616AD. This valuable history was archived between 1632-1636 by Franciscan monks, headed up by Michael O'Clery.

Following are the full references MacLysaght cited above. These were extracted from John O'Donovan's English translation of “The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters” Vol. 5, published in Dublin 1848-51.

1506 - Donnell O'Craidhen O'Crean, a pious and conscientious merchant, died, while hearing mass in Donegal.

1572 - Henry O'Craidhen, a rich and affluent merchant of Lower Connaught, died.

“The Annals of Loch Cé” is an account of Irish records dating from 1014AD to 1590. It was transcribed by William M. Hennesy and published 1871 in London by Longman & Co.

Originally, nearly all Irish surnames began with O meaning ‘the grandson of’ or ‘from the clan of’ or they began with Mac, meaning ‘the son of’.

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