History of your Surname
Get access to Whelan family records.Start a free trial

Whelan Family History

Whelan Name 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 6.

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


Similar surnames: Phelan, Heelan, Keelan, Geelan, Whelihan, Shean, Helin, Thelen, Wean

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

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 1911 there were 142 Whelan families living in Quebec. This was about 40% of all the recorded Whelan's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Whelan families in 1911.
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.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Whelan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Whelan. 27% of Whelan men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Whelan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whelan were Foreman and Income. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Labourer
    21%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Foreman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Teacher
    12%
  • Sister Of Charity
    12%
  • Income
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

Discover More

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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Whelan family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Whelan last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial