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Many variations of the name Felan have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Faoilain, which is derived from the word faol, which means wolf. 1
The surname Felan was first found in County Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Felan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1658 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Felan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Felan revealed spelling variations, including Phelan, O'Phelan, Whelan, O'Failin, Phalen, Phalon, Phaelan and many more.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Felan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Felan is the 14,916th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Felan name: