O’Regan – History and Origin

From one of the best organized websites about genealogy I have seen it quite a while! – CAA

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Riggin pg 1 of 2

from a book of Irish heraldry and ancestry: O’REGAN
“Regan is listed among the hundred most numerous Irish surnames: it holds sixty-sixth place …at the present time. Fifty years ago few bearers of the name made use of their prefix O, but it has been resumed by many families and the voters’ lists, directories etc., now indicate that nearly forty per cent are listed as O’Regan. Like most of the widespread Irish surnames O’Regan originated independently in more than one place. As regards origin, the more important of these was O Riagain of Counties Meath and Dublin, one of the Four Tribes of Tara, and very prominent in the wars against the so-called Danes. They were dispersed after the Anglo-Norman invasion and their descendants have largely disappeared except in Co. Leix, to which area they migrated. The other O’Regan sept, Dalcassian in origin, descends from Riagan, nephew of the famous Brian Boru: they were seated in the Limerick area of Thomond. In modern times Regans and O’Regans are found more in Co. Cork than in Co. Limerick. Fineen MacCarthy, writing in 1595, claims several families of O’Regan, living in Carbery, as his kinsmen. Keating, Terry and other seventeenth century authorities state that some families in Co. Limerick stem from the Co. Leix O’Regans; and it is a fact that the arms borne by families located in both those areas are the same.
Riagan being pronounced Reegan, the tendency in speech to call it Raigan (it is even spelt O Raogain in Co. Waterford Irish-speaking districts) can only be explained by the influence of the written word Regan (cf. Egan correctly pronounced locally Aigan).
While there have been surprisingly few outstanding figures in Irish life called Regan, two are worthy of individual mention: Maurice O’Regan who wrote a contemporary account of the Anglo-Norman invasion under Strongbow; and Teige O’Regan, the faithful follower of James II, who greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Limerick.

(“Authors note: it has been alleged that Teague Riggin of Somerset Co. Md had some relation to Sir Teige O’Regan, follower and soldier for King James II. This may or may not be true, but I have never seen a specific reference material that shows this or any other absolute proof to date.” R. A. Riggin)