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

Felan, 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 Felan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felan in America

Felan is the 14920th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felan surname appeared 1,984 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 Felan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Felan 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 Felan

The surname Felan is believed to have originated in Ireland in the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word 'fáilán' which means 'a puppy' or 'a small dog'. The name may have initially been a nickname for someone who had a small or lively dog, or perhaps it was a descriptive term for someone who was quick or energetic.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Felan can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. In 1569, a man named Donyll Felan is mentioned as being pardoned for his involvement in a rebellion against English rule in Ireland.

In the 17th century, the Felan name appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout Ireland. One notable example is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the early 17th century. The annals mention a man named Aodh Felan, who was involved in a conflict between rival Irish clans in the year 1602.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Felan surname was Tadhg Felan, an Irish poet and scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his writings in both Irish and Latin and was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time.

Another notable person with the Felan surname was Donnchadh Felan, an Irish priest and historian who lived in the late 17th century. He wrote extensively about the history and culture of Ireland, and his works are considered important sources of information about that period.

In the 18th century, the Felan name can be found in various records and documents from counties such as Cork, Kerry, and Limerick in southwestern Ireland. This suggests that the name was particularly prevalent in that region during that time period.

One prominent Felan from the 19th century was Seán Felan, an Irish nationalist and journalist who was born in County Cork in 1848 and played an active role in the Irish independence movement. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and was imprisoned for his political activities.

Throughout its history, the Felan surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Felanstown and Felanvill, which may have been derived from the surname or vice versa. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Fealon and Feelan, have been recorded over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felan

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

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 Felan 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 Felan 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 Felan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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