2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hullihan
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUallachain referring to a person from County Kilkenny.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Hullihan. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hullihan 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Hullihan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hullihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hullihan
The surname HULLIHAN is of Irish origin, believed to have emerged in the 16th century in the counties of Cork and Kerry. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic "O hUallachain," meaning "descendant of Uallachain." Uallachain was a personal name formed from the word "uallach," meaning "arrogant" or "proud."
The earliest known records of the HULLIHAN surname can be found in the Irish Annals, which document events dating back to the 5th century. In these texts, variations of the name, such as "O'Houlahane" and "O'Hulahane," appear in references to individuals and families from the Cork and Kerry regions.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Dermot O'Houlahan, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who led a rebellion against English rule in Munster. Records from the time mention his involvement in conflicts with the English forces and his eventual capture and execution in 1581.
In the 17th century, the HULLIHAN surname appears in church records and land registries from Cork and Kerry. During this period, several individuals with the name were involved in the Confederate Wars, fighting for Irish independence against the English Parliamentarians.
A prominent HULLIHAN from the 18th century was Patrick Houlihan (1716-1789), a wealthy landowner and merchant from County Cork. He was known for his philanthropy and support of Catholic causes during the Penal Laws era in Ireland.
Another notable figure was John O'Houlihan (1824-1901), a 19th-century Irish poet and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish culture and nationalism. His works were widely published in newspapers and literary journals of the time.
As the HULLIHAN surname spread beyond Ireland, it can be found in historical records and accounts throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in areas with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hullihan
Among Census respondents with the surname Hullihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hullihan 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 Hullihan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hullihan
Hullihan 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,028 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,028 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Hullihan 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hullihan bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Hullihan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hullihan?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Hullihan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Hullihan?
Hullihan ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Hullihan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hullihan.
Has Hullihan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hullihan went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Hullihan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hullihan, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Hullihan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hullihan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Hullihan (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 Hullihan mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUallachain referring to a person from County Kilkenny. 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 Hullihan (0.03 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 Hullihan?
Find out how many people are called Hullihan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.