Callahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Before Irish names were translated into English, Callahan 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 Callahan is a patronymic name. 1

Early Origins of the Callahan family

The surname Callahan was first found in Munster. The earliest mention of the name Callahan 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 Callahan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Callahan 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 Callahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callahan Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Callahan were found in the many archives researched. These included 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 Callahan family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Callahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callahan Ranking

In the United States, the name Callahan is the 621st most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Callahan is ranked the 390th most popular surname with an estimated 120 people with that name. 4


Callahan migration to the United States +

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Callahan:

Callahan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Callahan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Callahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Callahan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Callahan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Callahan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Callahan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Callahan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Callahan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Callahan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Callahan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Callahan (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Callahan +
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