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Whelan Family History

Whelan Surname Meaning

Irish (southern counties): shortened and altered Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Faoláin ‘descendant of Faolán’ a personal name based on a diminutive of faol ‘wolf’. This name is also Anglicized as Phelan and Folan or ‘translated’ as Woulfe.

The Irish name also occurs in a form without initial f namely Ó hAoláin and Ó hAoileáin Anglicized as Heelan and with excrescent final -d as Hyland and Holland.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Whelan family from?

You can see how Whelan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whelan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whelan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 854 Whelan families living in Lancashire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Whelan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Whelan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whelan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Whelan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whelan. 22% of Whelan men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Whelan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whelan were Motor Driver and Cotton Weaver.

View Census Data for Whelan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    22%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Dock Labourer
    4%
  • Motor Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

What Whelan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 140,000 census records available for the last name Whelan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whelan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whelan

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Whelan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whelan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Whelan. For the veterans among your Whelan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whelan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whelan family history

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What is the average Whelan lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Whelan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Whelan in 1941 was 68, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whelan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whelan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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