Gaelic sept

Whelan

Ó Faoláin

Also: Phelan, Whalen

“descendant of Faolán, 'little wolf'”

🏔 Waterford · Port Láirge 🏔 Kilkenny · Cill Chainnigh 🏔 Wexford · Loch Garman Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The sept's historic heartland, highlighted. People moved — a name can be found far from home.

The story

Faolán is a little wolf, from faol, a wolf. Woulfe gives two families: a numerous and once powerful Munster family who were lords of the Déise, in Waterford and Tipperary, before the Norman invasion; and a numerous Leinster family seated at Magh Lacha, a plain in the barony of Kells in Kilkenny. By the 16th century the name was found in nearly every county of Munster and Leinster, and in Roscommon and Galway. It was often pronounced Ó Fualáin, and with the f softened it became Ó hAoláin and Ó hUaláin; Phelan and Whelan are both English forms of the one Irish name.

See them on the atlas ↗

What the name is made of

Ó Faoláin
Ó — descendant of (originally grandson of)
Faoláin — the ancestor, trade or place the name is built on

Find this form in the Irish-to-English index → · What Ó and Mac actually mean

Is Whelan an Irish name?

Whelan is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here.

The five answers, and why it is rarely yes or no →

From Wikipedia — “Whelan”

The family name Whelan is an anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Faoláin. The surname originates from the Middle Irish Úa Faeláin the name of the 10th to 11th century ruling dynasty of the Déisi, a population group inhabiting the area of the modern counties of Waterford and Kilkenny in the Early Middle Ages.

Read the full article ↗ · Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People of the name

Kieran Phelan ↗ (1949–2010) · born in County Laois
James Whelan ↗ (1823–1878) · born in County Kilkenny
Richard Phelan ↗ (1828–1904) · born in County Kilkenny

From the people listed on the county pages; sharing a surname does not mean sharing descent.

Where the Whelan country is

County Waterford County Kilkenny County Wexford Waterford Kilkenny Wexford Gorey Tramore Callan Thomastown Enniscorthy 6 castles in Waterford 15 castles in Kilkenny 10 castles in Wexford

Neighbours — other names from the same counties

Aylward · Waterford, Kilkenny Cody · Kilkenny, Wexford Comerford · Kilkenny, Waterford Connery · Waterford, Wexford Lonergan · Kilkenny, Waterford Walsh · Kilkenny, Waterford Archer · Kilkenny Boyce · Kilkenny Brennan · Kilkenny Broderick · Kilkenny Brophy · Kilkenny Bulger · Wexford Butler · Kilkenny Cantwell · Kilkenny

Quick answers

Is Whelan an Irish name?

Whelan is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here. In Irish the name is Ó Faoláin.

What does the surname Whelan mean?

Whelan (Irish: Ó Faoláin) means “descendant of Faolán, 'little wolf'”. Origin: Gaelic sept.

Where in Ireland is the surname Whelan from?

The historic homeland of the Whelan name is Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford. People moved, so the name can be found far beyond it.

What is the Irish for Whelan?

Ó Faoláin. Related spellings: Phelan, Whalen.

Looking for the Whelan family crest? Read this first — arms belong to people, not surnames, and the honest version is more interesting. Tracing Whelan ancestors? The step-by-step guide.

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