2000
#2,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.12
Uncommon Last name
Whelan
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Faoláin, meaning "descendant of Faolán," derived from the Irish word for "wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,773 Americans carry the last name Whelan. That puts it at #3,162 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,834 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whelan 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 Whelan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,834
Census rank
#3,162
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,139 bearers of the surname Whelan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3162nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whelan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whelan
The surname Whelan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Fhaolain, meaning "little wolf." The name originated in County Kilkenny and surrounding areas of Ireland during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. The entry for the year 1171 mentions "Fhaolain Ua Maoilriain," indicating the presence of the name in that era.
In the 13th century, the name is found in various forms, such as Whelan, Whalan, and Whelehan, in medieval Irish records and manuscripts. Some notable early bearers of the name include Aodh Whelan, a prominent scholar and poet in the 15th century, and Seán Whelan, a renowned bard and historian from the 16th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Whelan family established itself as a prominent clan in County Kilkenny, with several members holding positions of authority and influence in the region. One notable figure was Patrick Whelan (1604-1678), a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.
In the 18th century, the name Whelan gained recognition beyond Ireland. James Whelan (1736-1800) was an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the United States Congress. Another notable bearer was Michael Whelan (1787-1858), an Irish-born Catholic priest who played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic Church in Australia.
As the Irish diaspora spread across the globe, the surname Whelan became more widespread. In the 19th century, James Whelan (1823-1890) was a prominent Australian politician and landowner, while in the United States, John Whelan (1839-1906) was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
Other notable individuals with the surname Whelan include the Irish writer and feminist Norah Whelan (1884-1962), the Australian artist and illustrator Patricia Whelan (1928-2022), and the American astrophysicist Benjamin Whelan (born 1944), who worked on the Hubble Space Telescope project.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whelan
Among Census respondents with the surname Whelan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Whelan 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 Whelan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 10,247
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 405
- Two or more races2.9% · 326
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 100
- Black or African American0.3% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whelan
Whelan 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
#3,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,363
+236 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 3.85
Rank movement Down 205 places
2020
#3,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,139
-224 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Up 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,976 | 11,127 | 4.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,181 | 11,363 | 3.85 | +236 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 205 places |
| 2020 | #3,162 | 11,139 | 3.73 | -224 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 19 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 Whelan 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 | #3,181 | #3,162 | 0.6% |
| Count | 11,363 | 11,139 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.85 | 3.73 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whelan bearers went from 11,363 to 11,139 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,181 to #3,162.
FAQ
Whelan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whelan?
Name Census estimates that about 12,773 living Americans carry the surname Whelan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,834 residents.
How common is Whelan?
Whelan ranks #3,162 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,139 people with the surname Whelan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,773), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Whelan.
Has Whelan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whelan went from 11,363 recorded bearers to 11,139. That is a decrease of 224 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,181 to #3,162.
What does the Census say about the background of Whelan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whelan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Whelan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (10,247 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whelan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Whelan (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 Whelan mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Faoláin, meaning "descendant of Faolán," derived from the Irish word for "wolf." 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 Whelan (3.73 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 Whelan?
Find out how many people are called Whelan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.