Calahan History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsBefore Irish names were translated into English, Calahan had a Gaelic form of Ó Ceallachain, possibly from "ceallach", which means "strife". The family is descended from Ceallachan (Callaghan), the 10th century King of Munster from whom their surname is derived, and as such, the name Calahan is a patronymic name. 1 Early Origins of the Calahan familyThe surname Calahan was first found in Munster. The earliest mention of the name Calahan placed them in the barony of Kinlea, in County Cork, yet the family lost most of their original lands in the barony of Kinelea during the Anglo-Norman Conquest under Strongbow. They relocated to an area near Mallow, in the north of the county, and remained there until forced off their lands once again during the Cromwellian Invasion of the 17th century. The head family migrated to the east of County Clare and flourished, giving their name to the village of Callaghan's Mills. The resumption of the often-discarded prefix "O" has been widespread during the late twentieth century, but in the early twentieth century, Callaghans greatly outnumbered O'Callaghans, but such is no longer the case. The O'Callaghans are one of the few Irish families to still have a chief, certified by the Genealogical Office. 2 Early History of the Calahan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calahan research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1605, 1640, 1654, 1738, 1797, 1807, 1839, 1883 and 1909 are included under the topic Early Calahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Calahan Spelling VariationsThe scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the Calahan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Callaghan, Callahan, O'Callaghan, O'Callahan, Calahan, Cellaghan, Kalahan, Kallaghan, Kallahan, O'Kallaghan, Kellaghan, Kelleghan, Kellahan, Kelahan, Ceilahan, Ceilaghan, Callachan, Calachan, Callagan, Calagan, Kelagan, Callighan and many more. Early Notables of the Calahan familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Calahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Calahan RankingIn the United States, the name Calahan is the 10,254th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination . Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the Calahan family name: Calahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Calahan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Calahan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
|