Explore the Family Name Whelihan
The meaning of Whelihan
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Faoileacháin ‘descendant of Faoileachán’, a byname from faoileach ‘joyful’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whelihan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Whelihan has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Whelihan ranked as the 69,201st most common surname, but dropped to the 74,141st position by 2010, representing a 7.14% decrease. The count of people with this surname also slightly decreased from 265 in 2000 to 261 in 2010, marking a 1.51% drop. Despite this decline, the surname is still present in the population, though its proportion per 100k people fell by 10.0% from 0.1 in 2000 to 0.09 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #69,201 | #74,141 | -7.14% |
| Count | 265 | 261 | -1.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.09 | -10% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whelihan
Regarding its ethnic identity, the Whelihan surname has predominantly been associated with people of White ethnicity based on Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 96.60% of the people with this surname identified as White, which saw a small decrease to 94.64% by 2010. Over this 10-year period, there was a negligible increase in those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 3.02% in 2000 to 3.07% in 2010. There were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year. Additionally, there were no recorded instances of individuals identifying with two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.6% | 94.64% | -2.03% |
| Hispanic | 3.02% | 3.07% | 1.66% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |