Houlahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

There are many Irish surnames being used today in forms that are quite different than their original, ancient forms. Houlahan originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó hUallachain, which is derived from the word "uallach," which means "proud." 1

Early Origins of the Houlahan family

The surname Houlahan was first found in Thomond (Irish: Tuadh Mumhan), literally North Thomond, the pre-Norman Kingdom of Thomond, since divided between counties Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Houlahan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houlahan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Houlahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houlahan Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Houlahan dating from that time include Holohan, O'Holohan, Mulholland, Highland, Hoolohan, Houlihan, Hooligan, Whelton, Oulihan, Oulahen, Whoolahan and many more.

Early Notables of the Houlahan family

More information is included under the topic Early Houlahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houlahan migration to Australia +

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

Houlahan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Houlahan, Irish convict who was convicted in Meath, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
Patrick Houlahan, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Caucasian" 3
Thomas Houlahan, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Caucasian" 3

Houlahan 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:

Houlahan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick Houlahan, aged 33, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1876

Contemporary Notables of the name Houlahan (post 1700) +

Beth Houlahan MSN, RN, CENP, American Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at the University of Wisconsin
Micheal Houlahan, American Music Professor at Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania
Peter J. Houlahan, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Buenos Aires, 1919-24 4
Gerard "Ger" Houlahan, Irish retired Gaelic footballer
Harold "Harry" Houlahan (b. 1930), English footballer who played from 1951 to 1955
Dr Mark Houlahan, New Zealand Convenor of English, Senior Lecturer at the University of Waikato

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
South Australian Register Tuesday 26 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Caucasian 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/caucasian1857.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html