Last name: Whelan
It is the anglicized or developed form of the ancient pre 10th century Gaelic name O’ Faolain, meaning a male descendant of Faolan, itself a personal name meaning ‘Young wolf”. Whelan is more numerous that Phelan, and stands seventy-ninth in the list of the hundred commonest names in Ireland.
Where are the phelans from in Ireland?
The majority of present day Phelans and Whelans are still to be found in Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford.
Does Phelan mean wolf?
Phelan means “little wolf” (from Gaelic “fáel”).
Is Phelan a first name?
The name Phelan is a boy’s name of Irish origin meaning “wolf”. … The first name Phelan figures in an O’Henry story, “Between Rounds”; and in The Help, Skeeter’s surname is Phelan. In Irish, the name is spelled Faolan.
What does Phelan mean in Irish?
variant of Whelan. Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fialáin ‘descendant of Fialán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of Fial, meaning ‘generous’, ‘modest’, ‘honorable’. This is the surname of a bardic family in northern Ireland.
What are some Irish last names?
The Most Popular Irish Family Names
- Murphy. Murphy is one of the most popular Irish last names that you’ll come across and it’s particularly popular in County Cork. …
- Byrne. Photo by shutterupeire on shutterstock.com. …
- Kelly. Photo by shutterupeire on shutterstock.com. …
- O’Brien. …
- Ryan. …
- O’Sullivan. …
- O’Connor. …
- Walsh.
What does Whalen mean in Gaelic?
Irish (southern provinces): reduced and altered Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Faoláin ‘descendant of Faolán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of faol ‘wolf’.
What kind of name is Whalen?
Whalen is a surname. In Ireland, Whalen, Whelan, Phelan and O’Phelan, are anglicized variants of the same Gaelic surname, Faoláin, which itself is a variant of Ó Faoileáin and Ó Haoláin.
What is Whelen racing?
Whelen Motorsports. Website. www.whelen.com. The Whelen Engineering Company, Inc is an American corporation that designs and manufactures audio and visual warning equipment for automotive, aviation, and mass notification industries worldwide.
What does the O mean in Irish names?
It is derived from the Gaelic word “ua,” also abbreviated as uí or Ó, meaning “grandson of.” Thus any name beginning with O’ is without question an Irish patronymic. The O’ surnames began as early as the 11th century in Ireland, much earlier than the Mc/Mac surnames. … The prefix Fitz- is also found in Irish surnames.
Is Smith English or Irish?
Smith is a surname originating in England and Ireland. It is the most prevalent surname in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and the fifth most common surname in the Republic of Ireland.
What is the Celtic word for wolf?
The Irish word for wolf is Mac Tíre meaning literally “Son of the Country(side)” and association with human transformation linger. Whilst some consider this to be imported, there are many references in Irish mythology to lycanthropes and changing to other animal forms.
Is Phalen a girls name?
What is the meaning of the name Phalen? The name Phalen is primarily a female name of Irish origin that means Of The Wolf. Phalen is an Irish surname first found in County Waterford. It comes from the Gaelic name Faoilain, which is derived from the word faol (wolf).
What does Gaelic origin mean?
1 : of or relating to the Gaels and especially the Celtic Highlanders of Scotland. 2 : of, relating to, or constituting the Goidelic speech of the Celts in Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish Highlands.
Who is Phelan in Britannia?
Phelan is the son of King Pellenor and heir to the Cantii tribe. He is married to Amena, who is using him as a means to ascend to the Cantii throne. Due to the Druid’s edicts, Amena is also married to Lindon, the son of a Gallic Chief which strains their relationship.
What ethnicity is the name Whalen?
The surname Whalen 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.
How many people have the last name Whalen?
How Common Is The Last Name Whalen? This surname is the 13,715th most frequently held surname on a worldwide basis, held by around 1 in 179,060 people. This surname occurs predominantly in The Americas, where 96 percent of Whalen live; 96 percent live in North America and 95 percent live in Anglo-North America.
Is Phelan an Irish name?
Phelan is an Irish surname, one of the two most common anglicisations (the other being Whelan) of the Irish surname Ó Faoláin (which comes from the Irish for “wolf”). The name is commonly seen in the south-east of Ireland, particularly counties Waterford and Kilkenny. Other anglicised forms include, Felan and Faelan.