NameCensus.

UK surname

Hallahan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hAllmhuráin", meaning "descendant of the tiller or ploughman".

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Hallahan surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 225, ranked #18,105, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Bolton and Redditch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hallahan is 246 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 508.1%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

225

2016, ranked #18,105

Peak year

2009

246 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hallahan had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016, ranked #18,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Hallahan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hallahan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hallahan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hallahan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 32 #27,570
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 44 #29,276
1911 historical 60 #26,808
1997 modern 223 #16,448
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 224 #17,042
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 224 #16,918
2005 modern 218 #17,170
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 228 #16,984
2008 modern 230 #17,033
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 245 #17,013
2011 modern 245 #16,874
2012 modern 233 #17,339
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 235 #17,619
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 225 #18,105

Geography

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Where Hallahans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Bolton, Redditch and Bradford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 008 Havering
2 Bolton 009 Bolton
3 Redditch 003 Redditch
4 Bradford 009 Bradford
5 Bradford 011 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hallahan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hallahan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hallahan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hallahan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Hallahan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Hallahan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hallahan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hallahan is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hallahan falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hallahan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hallahan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hallahan

The surname Hallahan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'hallacháin, which means "descendent of the hospitaller" or "the one who manages the guest house." This name can be traced back to the 11th century in County Cork, Ireland.

The name Hallahan is believed to have originated in the Duhallow region of County Cork, where the family held land and prominence as a sept or clan. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval Irish annals and records, such as the Annals of Inisfallen and the Book of Lecan.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Hallahan surname was Donnchadh Ó hAllacháin, who served as the Bishop of Cloyne in the 13th century (1245-1265). Another notable figure was Tomás Ó hAllacháin, a 16th-century Irish poet and historian from County Cork.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Hallahan families were dispossessed of their lands and dispersed throughout the country. Some members of the clan sought refuge in County Kerry, where the name became established in the Iveragh peninsula.

One of the most famous individuals bearing the Hallahan surname was John Hallahan (1753-1828), an Irish-born American merchant and politician from Philadelphia. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation.

Another prominent figure was Mary Hallahan (1841-1917), a Catholic nun and educator who founded the Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School in Philadelphia, which was the first diocesan high school for girls in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the Hallahan surname include:

1. Cornelius Hallahan (1801-1876), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator in Philadelphia. 2. William Hallahan (1832-1909), an Irish-born American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient. 3. John Hallahan (1859-1938), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Charleston. 4. Patrick Hallahan (1857-1929), an Irish-born American baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Grays in the late 19th century. 5. Margaret Hallahan (1870-1948), an Irish-born American actress and vaudeville performer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hallahan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hallahan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Hallahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 2.89x
Devon 8 10.10x
Surrey 6 3.24x
Lancashire 5 1.11x
Kent 2 1.54x
Shetland 2 51.55x
Buckinghamshire 1 4.35x
Cheshire 1 1.19x
Glamorgan 1 1.51x
Royal Navy 1 22.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Damerel in Devon leads with 6 Hallahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.30x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Damerel 6 108.30x
St Giles In Fields London 5 267.38x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 55.79x
Islington London 4 10.85x
Camberwell 3 12.35x
Lerwick Gulberwick 2 333.33x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 32.79x
Richmond 2 76.92x
St George In East London 2 55.87x
St Mary Cray 2 800.00x
Cardiff St John 1 46.30x
Higher Bebington 1 185.19x
Hulme 1 10.62x
Langley Marish 1 357.14x
Penkridge 1 303.03x
Royal Navy 1 25.84x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 13.07x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hallahan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Beatrice 1
Elizabeth 1
Jane 1
Katy 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hallahan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 4
Edward 2
Jeremiah 2
John 2
Daniel 1
Rbt 1
Robt 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Hallahan households.

FAQ

Hallahan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hallahan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Hallahan surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hallahan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016. That gives Hallahan a modern rank of #18,105.

What does the Hallahan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hAllmhuráin", meaning "descendant of the tiller or ploughman".

What does the Hallahan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hallahan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.