2000
#7,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,040
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Houlihan
A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó hUallacháin, meaning "descendant of Uallachán," a personal name meaning "proud" or "arrogant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,364 Americans carry the last name Houlihan. That puts it at #8,328 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Houlihan 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 Houlihan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,541
Census rank
#8,328
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,806 bearers of the surname Houlihan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8328th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Houlihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Houlihan
The surname Houlihan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó hUallacháin, meaning "descendant of Uallachán." Uallachán is a diminutive form of the word "uallach," which means "proud" or "arrogant." The name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland.
The earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1371, it mentions a certain "Maolmhuire Ó hUallacháin" as a notable figure in County Mayo. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the western parts of Ireland by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Anglicized spelling "Houlihan" began to appear in English-language records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor sovereigns. These were letters patent issued by the English monarchy, granting lands and privileges in Ireland. The name is also found in various rent rolls and legal documents from this period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Terence Houlihan, a prominent landowner in County Limerick who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another notable figure was Captain Edmond Houlihan, an officer in the Irish Brigades of the French Army, who served in the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, several Houlihans achieved prominence in various fields. Michael Houlihan (1800-1857) was a Catholic priest and writer from County Cork, known for his works on Irish history and literature. James Houlihan (1834-1909) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from New York City, who made significant contributions to educational and cultural institutions.
The name has also been associated with certain places in Ireland, such as Houlihan's Folly, a historic site in County Kerry, and Houlihan's Bridge, a landmark in County Tipperary. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the surname Houlihan who lived in or owned land in those areas.
Throughout its history, the surname Houlihan has been subject to various spelling variations, including Houlahan, Houlehan, O'Houlihan, and O'Houlohan, among others. However, the modern standardized spelling of "Houlihan" has been widely adopted in recent centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Houlihan
Among Census respondents with the surname Houlihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Houlihan 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 Houlihan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 3,529
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 134
- Two or more races2.4% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 34
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Houlihan
Houlihan 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
#8,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,958
-82 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 775 places
2020
#8,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,806
-152 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,590 | 4,040 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,365 | 3,958 | 1.34 | -82 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 775 places |
| 2020 | #8,328 | 3,806 | 1.27 | -152 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 37 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 Houlihan 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 | #8,365 | #8,328 | 0.4% |
| Count | 3,958 | 3,806 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.27 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Houlihan bearers went from 3,958 to 3,806 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,365 to #8,328.
FAQ
Houlihan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Houlihan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,364 living Americans carry the surname Houlihan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,541 residents.
How common is Houlihan?
Houlihan ranks #8,328 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,806 people with the surname Houlihan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,364), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Houlihan.
Has Houlihan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Houlihan went from 3,958 recorded bearers to 3,806. That is a decrease of 152 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,365 to #8,328.
What does the Census say about the background of Houlihan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Houlihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) 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 Houlihan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (3,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Houlihan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), 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 Houlihan (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 Houlihan mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó hUallacháin, meaning "descendant of Uallachán," a personal name meaning "proud" or "arrogant." 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 Houlihan (1.27 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 Americans have the surname Houlihan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.