| ![Show Contents]() Colahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Before Irish names were translated into English, Colahan 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 Colahan is a patronymic name. 1 Early Origins of the Colahan familyThe surname Colahan was first found in Munster. The earliest mention of the name Colahan 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 Colahan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colahan 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 Colahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Colahan Spelling VariationsWithin archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Colahan. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include 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 Colahan familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Colahan migration to the United States | + |
Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of Colahan:
Colahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Colahan, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1844 3
- Mary A. Colahan, aged 18, who arrived in America, in 1893
- Bessie Colahan, aged 16, who arrived in America, in 1894
- Maggie Colahan, aged 24, who arrived in America, in 1896
- Ellie Colahan, aged 25, who arrived in America from Ballinasloe, Ireland, in 1899
Colahan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Daniel Colahan, aged 22, who arrived in America from Galway, Ireland, in 1904
- Arthur Colahan, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1906
- Katharina Colahan, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1907
- Andrew Colahan, aged 41, who arrived in America from Leicester, England, in 1922
| Contemporary Notables of the name Colahan (post 1700) | + |
- Charles Ellwood Colahan (1849-1904), American officer of the United States Navy, eponym of the USS Colahan (DD-658), a Fletcher-class destroyer
- Colin Cuthbert Orr Colahan (1897-1987), Australian painter and sculptor
- John Colahan (b. 1836), Irish Surgeon Major General in the British Army, son of Nicholas Colahan
- Arthur Nicholas Whistler Colahan (1884-1952), Irish doctor, British Army officer and songwriter of popular songs; his most famous work is Galway Bay, which popularised by Bing Crosby, son of Nicholas Colahan
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Colahan migration to the United States 
