Contents [hide]

Whelan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Whelan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Many variations of the name Whelan 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

Early Origins of the Whelan family

The surname Whelan was first found in County Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster.

Saint Fillan, Foilan or Felan (d. 777?), was an Irish missionary in Scotland in the middle of the eighth century. "His commemoration day in the Scottish calendar is 9 Jan. He was the son of Feredach, a prince in Munster, and Kentigerna, daughter of Kellach Cualann, king of Leinster, and sister to St. Congan. Being thrown into a river on his birth on account of deformity, he was rescued by St. Ibar. He became a monk at first in one of the monasteries of St. Munnu Fintan, and subsequently went from Ireland to the part of Argyll afterwards called Ross, where two churches, Kilkoan and Killellan, derive their names respectively from his uncle Congan and himself. A cave and a church were also named from him in Fife." 2

Early History of the Whelan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whelan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1658 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Whelan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whelan Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Whelan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Phelan, O'Phelan, Whelan, O'Failin, Phalen, Phalon, Phaelan and many more.

Early Notables of the Whelan family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whelan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whelan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Whelan is the 4,144^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Whelan is ranked the 99^th most popular surname with an estimated 324 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Whelan is the 526^th popular surname with an estimated 7,336 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Whelan as 807^th with 8,355 people. 6

Whelan migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Whelan:

Whelan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Whelan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1747 7

Whelan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Whelan, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 7
James Whelan, aged 29, who landed in Maryland in 1813 7
Nicholas Whelan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 7
Michael Whelan, who landed in New York in 1824 7
John Whelan, aged 40, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1840 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whelan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whelan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Robert Whelan, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Charles Whelan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Whelan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Sarah Whelan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1823
Margaret Whelan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1829
Catherine Whelan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1830
Andrew Whelan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1833
Lawrence Whelan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whelan migration to Australia +

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

Whelan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Whelan, Irish convict who was convicted in Wexford, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Thomas Whelan, (Wheeler), (b. 1770), aged 31, Irish convict who was convicted in Queen's County, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1820 8
Mr. Thomas Whelan, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Michael Whelan, (b. 1777), aged 50, Irish shepherd who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Daniel Whelan, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whelan 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:

Whelan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Philip Whelan, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Mary Whelan, aged 26, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Margaret Whelan, aged 2 mths., who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Christopher Whelan, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Michael Whelan, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Whelan (post 1700) +

William Joseph Whelan FRS (1924-2021), British-born American biochemist and chairman of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami
Jim Whelan (1948-2017), American politician, Mayor of Atlantic City (1990–2002), member of the New Jersey General Assembly (2006–2008) and Senate (2008-2017)
William Whelan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Jackson County 1st District, 1910 12
Timothy Whelan, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, 1893-97 12
Vincent Whelan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1956 12
Thomas J. Whelan (1922-2002), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, 1963-71; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1964 12
Thomas Edward Whelan (1895-1977), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Dakota, 1936 (member, Credentials Committee); U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, 1951-61 12
Thomas A. Whelan, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1940 12
Robert P. Whelan, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 15th District, 1978 12
Robert E. Whelan, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Queens County 3rd District, 1963-65 12
... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Whelan family +

Hillsborough disaster

Ian David Whelan (1970-1989), English junior clerk who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 13

RMS Lusitania

Mr. John James Whelan, English Fireman from Fazakerley, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 14

Rosedale Sawmill

Mr. John A Whelan (1894-1913), Newfoundlander from Eastport who was working on the 2nd July 1913 at the Rosedale Sawmill when there was an explosion, he died
Mr. William Whelan (1892-1913), Newfoundlander from Eastport who was working on the 2nd July 1913 at the Rosedale Sawmill when there was an explosion, he died
Mr. James Whelan (1890-1913), Newfoundlander from Eastport who was working on the 2nd July 1913 at the Rosedale Sawmill when there was an explosion, he died

SS Southern Cross

Mr. John Whelan (1884-1914), Newfoundlander from St. John's who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/