NameCensus.

UK surname

Phelan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Faoláin," meaning "descendant of Faolán," a personal name meaning "little wolf."

In the 1881 census there were 428 people recorded with the Phelan surname, ranking it #7,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,198, ranked #2,126, up from #7,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Bury and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phelan is 3,245 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 647.2%.

1881 census count

428

Ranked #7,587

Modern count

3,198

2016, ranked #2,126

Peak year

2014

3,245 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phelan had 428 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,198 in 2016, ranked #2,126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 807 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Phelan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phelan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phelan 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 183 #11,166
1861 historical 281 #8,921
1881 historical 428 #7,587
1891 historical 568 #6,687
1901 historical 707 #6,239
1911 historical 807 #5,445
1997 modern 2,929 #2,210
1998 modern 2,986 #2,255
1999 modern 3,034 #2,235
2000 modern 3,004 #2,242
2001 modern 2,943 #2,237
2002 modern 3,038 #2,219
2003 modern 2,982 #2,205
2004 modern 2,986 #2,196
2005 modern 2,926 #2,212
2006 modern 2,941 #2,202
2007 modern 2,960 #2,208
2008 modern 3,037 #2,162
2009 modern 3,142 #2,152
2010 modern 3,211 #2,151
2011 modern 3,166 #2,156
2012 modern 3,089 #2,165
2013 modern 3,208 #2,136
2014 modern 3,245 #2,129
2015 modern 3,197 #2,135
2016 modern 3,198 #2,126

Geography

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Where Phelans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Bury, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds and Slough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 010 Bolsover
2 Bury 025 Bury
3 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Leeds 038 Leeds
5 Slough 009 Slough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phelan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phelan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Phelan, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Phelan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Phelan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Phelan 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

Phelan is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Phelan 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 Phelan 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 Phelan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Phelan

The surname Phelan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Faoláin" which means "a wolf" or "little wolf". It is believed to have originated in County Laois, Ireland, where the name was prominent among the Irish clans.

The earliest recorded reference to the Phelan surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a 17th-century manuscript that chronicles the history of Ireland. The annals mention a Gilla Phadraig Ó Faoláin, a notable figure from the Uí Faoláin sept, who lived in the 12th century.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the Phelan family held significant lands in County Laois. One notable member was Patrick Phelan, born in 1550, who was a leader of the Clan Phelan and a fierce opponent of the English forces during the Desmond Rebellions.

The Phelan name is also associated with the town of Portlaoighise (now known as Portlaoise), which was originally called "Port Laoighis Ui Fhaolain" or "the port of Laoighis of the O'Phelans". This suggests that the Phelan clan had a strong presence in the area.

Another notable figure was John Phelan (1619-1690), a Catholic priest and writer who was born in County Kilkenny. He is known for his work "The Remonstrance of the Roman Catholics of Ireland", which advocated for the rights of Catholics in Ireland.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Phelan family was James Phelan (1720-1795), a landowner and politician from County Laois. He served as a Member of the Irish Parliament for the constituency of Portarlington.

In the 19th century, John Phelan (1822-1892) was a prominent figure in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and participated in the Fenian Rising of 1867, which aimed to establish an independent Irish republic.

The Phelan surname has also been found in various other spellings throughout history, such as O'Faolain, O'Faelan, and Phealan, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phelan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phelan 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. Lancashire leads with 158 Phelans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 158 3.18x
Yorkshire 63 1.52x
Middlesex 51 1.22x
Northumberland 17 2.73x
Surrey 15 0.74x
Hampshire 14 1.63x
Lanarkshire 12 0.89x
Gloucestershire 11 1.34x
Cheshire 9 0.97x
Durham 9 0.72x
Kent 9 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 7 6.23x
Glamorgan 7 0.96x
Oxfordshire 7 2.71x
Staffordshire 7 0.50x
Devon 6 0.69x
Essex 6 0.73x
Monmouthshire 5 1.65x
Somerset 5 0.74x
Derbyshire 2 0.31x
Angus 1 0.26x
Bedfordshire 1 0.46x
Berkshire 1 0.32x
Cumberland 1 0.28x
Midlothian 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 2.01x
Suffolk 1 0.20x
Sussex 1 0.14x
Worcestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 26 Phelans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.62x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 26 8.62x
Toxteth Park 21 12.49x
Manchester 20 8.96x
Westgate 14 36.31x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 16.48x
Droylsden 11 67.90x
Kensington London 11 4.73x
Battersea 10 6.49x
Everton 10 6.32x
Bristol St Augustine 9 67.98x
Bowling 8 19.48x
Leeds 8 3.42x
Wakefield 8 25.13x
Bonhill 7 38.78x
Ecclesfield 7 23.03x
Harpsden 7 2000.00x
Horton In Bradford 7 10.81x
Hound 7 120.27x
St Pancras London 7 2.08x
Tottington Lower End 7 29.66x
Walton Le Dale 7 52.47x
Burton Upon Trent 6 18.15x
Holy Trinity 6 6.02x
Hulme 6 5.79x
Portsea 6 3.57x
Bradford 5 4.98x
Dawdon 5 32.66x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 5.93x
Gorton 5 10.71x
Salford 5 3.42x
St Woollos 5 14.81x
Westminster St James 5 11.62x
Cadder 4 40.00x
Clase 4 14.77x
Hampstead London 4 6.14x
Paddington London 4 2.60x
Tranmere 4 11.78x
Windle 4 14.32x
Bedminster 3 4.74x
Blackburn 3 2.27x
Broughton In Salford 3 6.61x
Dawlish 3 46.15x
Hammersmith London 3 2.91x
Hendon 3 19.92x
Lambeth 3 0.82x
Lancaster 3 10.16x
Monks Coppenhall 3 8.61x
Poplar London 3 3.80x
Rutherglen 3 15.11x
St Bartholomew Great 3 78.74x
West Ham 3 1.65x
Barony 2 0.58x
Brightside Bierlow 2 2.46x
Chiswick 2 8.75x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.02x
Govan 2 0.60x
Hackney London 2 0.85x
Holbeck 2 7.28x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 31.70x
Kirkdale 2 2.39x
Minster In Sheppey 2 8.46x
Oldham 2 1.25x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.98x
Rusholme 2 15.11x
Stockton On Tees 2 3.33x
Swansea Town 2 3.35x
West Derby 2 1.38x
Bath St James 1 14.22x
Brighton 1 0.70x
Colchester St Botolph 1 14.22x
Dundee 1 0.69x
East Ham 1 6.52x
Manningham 1 1.96x
Parr 1 5.63x
Royal Navy 1 2.35x
Shoreditch London 1 0.55x
South Shields 1 9.02x
Stroud 1 6.26x
Walton On Hill 1 3.72x
Wantage 1 19.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Ellen 17
Sarah 14
Catherine 13
Margaret 13
Elizabeth 10
Ann 8
Bridget 8
Kate 6
Alice 5
Jane 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Annie 3
Clara 3
Frances 3
Amelia 2
Anastatia 2
Bella 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Anne 1
Bridgot 1
Catharine 1
Crestena 1
E.E. 1
Elen 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Jemima 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Kathleen 1
Keturah 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Mable 1
Margt. 1
Mariama 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Marthar 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Nellie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
James 19
Thomas 16
William 15
Joseph 13
Michael 13
Edward 10
Martin 4
Nicholas 4
Patrick 4
Richard 4
Bernard 3
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Henry 3
Peter 3
Thos. 3
David 2
Fenton 2
Francis 2
George 2
Matthew 2
Maurice 2
Philip 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Austin 1
Benjam 1
Bryan 1
Charles 1
Chas.Ed. 1
Frances 1
J. 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Silvester 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Phelan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phelan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 428 people were recorded with the Phelan surname. That placed it at #7,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phelan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,198 in 2016. That gives Phelan a modern rank of #2,126.

What does the Phelan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Faoláin," meaning "descendant of Faolán," a personal name meaning "little wolf."

What does the Phelan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Phelan 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.