2000
#6,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.94
Rare Last name
Halloran
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'hAllmhurain," meaning "descendant of Allmhurain," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,895 Americans carry the last name Halloran. That puts it at #6,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Halloran surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Halloran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,143
Census rank
#6,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,141 bearers of the surname Halloran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Halloran, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Halloran
The surname Halloran originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "O'Halloran," which means "descendant of Halloran." The name Halloran itself is believed to come from the Irish word "allaran," meaning "wanderer" or "pilgrim."
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Halloran can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a prominent family of the O'Halloran clan in the 14th century, who were wealthy landowners in County Galway.
The Halloran name gained prominence in the 16th century, with several members of the family holding influential positions in the Irish Catholic Church. Most notable among them was Dermot O'Halloran, who served as the Bishop of Killaloe from 1564 to 1578.
During the 17th century, the Halloran family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, supporting the Catholic Irish against the English Parliamentarians. One of the notable figures from this period was Donal O'Halloran, a renowned military leader who fought alongside the Irish Confederate forces.
As the Irish diaspora spread across the world, the Halloran name traveled far and wide. In the 19th century, several Hallorans made their mark in various fields. Joseph Halloran (1810-1882) was an influential Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 1867 to 1869.
Another notable figure was George Burdett Halloran (1839-1914), a British artist and illustrator known for his paintings of rural life in Ireland. His works are part of the collection at the National Gallery of Ireland.
In the 20th century, the Halloran name continued to leave its mark. One of the most renowned figures was John Halloran (1904-1989), an American author and playwright best known for his acclaimed novel "The Bunker Hill Storyteller."
Overall, the surname Halloran has a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and continents. From its origins in medieval Ireland to its global presence today, the name carries with it a legacy of wanderers, warriors, and innovators who have left an indelible mark on the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Halloran
Among Census respondents with the surname Halloran, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Halloran bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Halloran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 4,794
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 144
- Two or more races2.4% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- Black or African American0.5% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Halloran
Halloran appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,465
+242 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 187 places
2020
#6,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,141
-324 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,061 | 5,223 | 1.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,248 | 5,465 | 1.85 | +242 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 187 places |
| 2020 | #6,365 | 5,141 | 1.72 | -324 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 117 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Halloran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,248 | #6,365 | -1.9% |
| Count | 5,465 | 5,141 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.72 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Halloran bearers went from 5,465 to 5,141 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,248 to #6,365.
FAQ
Halloran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Halloran?
Name Census estimates that about 5,895 living Americans carry the surname Halloran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,143 residents.
How common is Halloran?
Halloran ranks #6,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,141 people with the surname Halloran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,895), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Halloran.
Has Halloran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Halloran went from 5,465 recorded bearers to 5,141. That is a decrease of 324 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,248 to #6,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Halloran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Halloran, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Halloran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (4,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Halloran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Halloran (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Halloran mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'hAllmhurain," meaning "descendant of Allmhurain," a personal name of uncertain origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Halloran (1.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Halloran?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Halloran is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.