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

Whalen, 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 Whalen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whalen in America

Whalen is the 1470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whalen surname appeared 24,262 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Whalen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whalen 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 Whalen

The surname Whalen originated in Ireland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Fáilín, meaning 'descendant of Fáilín'. Fáilín itself is a diminutive form of the personal name Fáil, which is believed to have its roots in the Old Irish word 'fál', meaning 'ruler' or 'prince'.

The Whalens were originally based in County Mayo, specifically in the baronies of Carra, Erris, and Gallen. The name can be found in various ancient records and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, which mention several individuals bearing the name in the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Pipe Roll of Cloyne from 1364, which lists a 'William Whalen'. Another early reference is in the Fiants of the Reign of Henry VIII, where a 'John Whalen' is mentioned in 1537.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone several spelling variations, including Whalen, Whelan, Phelan, Falan, and Fallon. These variations often arose due to regional dialects, phonetic translations, and the preferences of individual record-keepers.

Some notable individuals with the surname Whalen throughout history include:

1. William Whalen (c. 1620 - c. 1690), an Irish soldier and landowner from County Mayo, who served in the Irish Confederate Wars.
2. James Whalen (1742 - 1819), an Irish-American merchant and Revolutionary War patriot, known for his involvement in the Boston Tea Party.
3. Richard Whalen (1810 - 1890), an Irish-American bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia.
4. William Joseph Whalen (1866 - 1942), an American politician who served as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
5. Philip Whalen (1923 - 2002), an American poet and a key figure in the Beat Generation literary movement.

The surname Whalen has also been associated with several place names, particularly in Ireland, such as Whalen's Cross in County Mayo and Whaleytown in County Westmeath.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whalen

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

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

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

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