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

O'Hanlon, 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 O'Hanlon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Hanlon in America

O'Hanlon is the 14474th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Hanlon surname appeared 2,063 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 O'Hanlon.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Hanlon 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 O'Hanlon

The surname OHANLON is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Bréifne in what is now County Leitrim, Ireland. The name dates back to the 11th century and is derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó hAnluain, meaning "descendant of Anluain."

The OHANLON clan was part of the Uí Briúin dynasty, which ruled over the northern part of Bréifne. They were a prominent and influential family in the region, holding significant landholdings and playing a crucial role in the political and military affairs of the area.

The name OHANLON appears in various historic records and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. One notable entry mentions Giolla Íosa Ó hAnluain, who died in 1337 and was described as the "most distinguished man of his tribe for hospitality and nobility."

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, which mention Tadhg Ó hAnluain, a prominent chieftain who died in 1395. The name is also recorded in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of documents from the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OHANLON is found in the Annals of Lough Cé, which mention Ruaidhri Ó hAnluain, who was killed in a battle in 1256. The name is also associated with several place names in County Leitrim, such as Ballinahanlon and Drumhawnlon, reflecting the clan's historical presence in the area.

Notable individuals bearing the OHANLON surname throughout history include:

1. Redmond O'Hanlon (c. 1640-1681), an Irish military commander who fought for the Catholic Confederation of Kilkenny during the Irish Confederate Wars.
2. John O'Hanlon (1821-1905), an Irish priest and ecclesiastical historian known for his extensive writings on the lives of Irish saints.
3. Michael O'Hanlon (1788-1862), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for County Monaghan from 1837 to 1841.
4. Redmond O'Hanlon (1896-1916), an Irish rebel who fought in the Easter Rising of 1916, a pivotal event in the Irish Revolutionary period.
5. Rory O'Hanlon (born 1953), a British explorer and travel writer, known for his expeditions to the remote regions of South America and Asia.

The OHANLON surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the ancient Gaelic kingdoms of Ireland, reflecting the clan's prominence and influence in the region over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Hanlon

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Hanlon.

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 O'Hanlon 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 O'Hanlon 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 O'Hanlon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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