Explore the Family Name Heelan

The meaning of Heelan

Irish (Limerick): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAoileáin, from a variant of Faolán, a personal name from a diminutive of faol ‘wolf’. The alternative form Ó Faoláin has been Anglicized as Phelan or Whelan. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brennan.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Heelan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Heelan saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 60,083 in 2000, it dropped to 62,189 by 2010, marking a -3.51% change. The count of individuals bearing this surname, however, increased from 314 in 2000 to 322 in 2010, a growth rate of 2.55%. Despite this increase, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -8.33%, signifying that while the number of people with the surname Heelan rose, it did so at a slower pace than the overall population.

20002010Change
Rank#60,083#62,189-3.51%
Count3143222.55%
Proportion per 100k0.120.11-8.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Heelan

In regards to ethnicity associated with the surname Heelan, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data, there was little change noted between 2000 and 2010. The vast majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, accounting for 94.27% in 2000 and slightly decreasing to 93.48% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic decreased significantly from 4.46% in 2000 to 3.11% in 2010. Interestingly, the Black ethnic identity category saw an addition in 2010, with 1.55% of the Heelans identifying as such, while no Heelans had identified as Black in 2000. There were no reported changes among Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories.

20002010Change
White94.27%93.48%-0.84%
Hispanic4.46%3.11%-30.27%
Black0%1.55%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%