Find out how popular the last name Calahan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Calahan.

Calahan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Calahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calahan in America

Calahan is the 13713th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calahan surname appeared 2,207 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Calahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calahan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Calahan

The surname Calahan has its origins in the Gaelic language and is believed to have emerged in Ireland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Irish words "calath" and "an," which collectively translate to "the battle" or "the strife." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon an individual or family with a reputation for being formidable warriors or embroiled in conflicts.

Historically, the name Calahan was most prevalent in the counties of Donegal, Galway, and Mayo in Ireland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient Irish manuscripts and chronicles dating back to the 12th century, where it appears with various spelling variations such as Callaghan, Callaghen, and Callachan.

One notable historical figure bearing the Calahan surname was Dermot Calahan, a chieftain from Donegal who fought alongside the Irish forces during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603) against English rule. Another prominent individual was Rory Calahan, born in 1688, who was a renowned Irish scholar and poet renowned for his contributions to preserving the Gaelic language and culture.

In the annals of Irish history, the name Calahan is also associated with several place names, such as Calahan's Castle in County Mayo, which was once the stronghold of a powerful Calahan clan in the region. Additionally, the town of Calahan's Cross in County Galway is believed to have been named after a prominent Calahan family who resided there in the 16th century.

During the mass emigration of Irish people to the United States and other parts of the world in the 19th century, many individuals bearing the Calahan surname left their homeland in search of better opportunities. Among the notable Calahans of this era was Michael Calahan, born in 1822, who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.

Another individual of historical significance was Margaret Calahan (1848-1924), a pioneering educator who established several schools in the American West and played a pivotal role in promoting education for Native American children. Similarly, John Calahan (1861-1932), a railway engineer, was instrumental in the construction of several major railroad lines across the United States, contributing significantly to the nation's infrastructure development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calahan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Calahan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Calahan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Calahan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Calahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Calahan, please contact us.

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