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

Halpin, 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 Halpin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Halpin in America

Halpin is the 5886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Halpin surname appeared 5,865 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Halpin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Halpin 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 Halpin

The surname Halpin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Ailpín" or "Alpín," meaning "white-headed" or "of noble birth." The name is believed to have emerged in the 10th century, with roots tracing back to the Irish kingdom of Dál Riata in modern-day County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Halpin can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One notable entry from 1002 mentions the death of "Maelmaire Ua hAlpain," which translates to "Maelmaire O'Halpin." This suggests that the Halpin surname was already in use by the early 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name appears in the Book of Leinster, an important medieval Irish manuscript. It references a "Diarmait Ua hAlpain," or "Diarmait O'Halpin," who was a chief of the Uí Énna kindred in County Laois, Ireland.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, various spellings of the name were recorded, including Halpin, Halpen, Halpine, and Alphin. These variations likely stemmed from the Anglicization of the original Gaelic form.

One notable historical figure bearing the Halpin surname was Reverend Nicholas Halpin (1733-1807), an Irish Catholic priest and author. He was a prominent figure during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and wrote extensively on the history of Ireland.

Another individual of note was James Halpin (1819-1890), an Irish-American cartographer and surveyor. He was responsible for surveying and mapping significant portions of the American West in the mid-19th century.

The name Halpin has also been associated with places in Ireland, such as Halpinstown, a townland in County Laois, and Halpinsland, a townland in County Kilkenny. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Halpin surname who once lived or owned land in those areas.

Other notable figures with the Halpin surname include Sir Gerald Halpin (1900-1967), an Irish lawyer and judge; Michael Halpin (1930-2009), an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer; and John Halpin (born 1956), an American political strategist and author.

Throughout history, the surname Halpin has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, with many individuals of this name making significant contributions in various fields across Ireland and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Halpin

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

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

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

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