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

Tehan, 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 Tehan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tehan in America

Tehan is the 37029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tehan surname appeared 603 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tehan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tehan 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 Tehan

The surname Tehan originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Tadhgáin, meaning "descendant of Tadhgán," a personal name that means "son of the poet."

The Tehans were initially concentrated in County Cork, particularly in the baronies of Imokilly and Barrymore. The name has various spellings, including O'Tegan, O'Tehian, O'Tihane, and O'Tihenn, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval chronicle compiled by the monks of Inisfallen Abbey in County Kerry. The annals mention a Tadhg O'Tehan, who was slain in a battle against the English in 1261.

In the 16th century, the Tehan family was prominent in the Barony of Imokilly, with several members serving as lords of the manor and holding significant landholdings. Notable individuals from this period include Donal Tehan (c. 1520-1585), who was a powerful chieftain and landowner in Imokilly.

During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 17th century, many Tehans lost their lands and were forced to migrate to other parts of Ireland or abroad. Some members of the family settled in County Limerick, where they became influential in the local community.

One of the most famous figures bearing the Tehan name was Patrick Tehan (1798-1878), a prominent Irish Catholic priest and educator. He served as the first President of St. John's College in Waterford and played a crucial role in promoting Catholic education in Ireland.

Another notable individual was John Tehan (1830-1902), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.

In the 19th century, the Tehan surname also gained recognition through the literary works of John Tehan, a renowned Irish poet and playwright. His play "The Blind Beggar of Ballyknow" was widely acclaimed for its portrayal of rural Irish life.

Throughout history, the Tehan name has been associated with various professions, including landowners, chieftains, clergy, politicians, and literary figures, reflecting the diverse contributions of this Irish family to society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tehan

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

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

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

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