The Houlihan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,958 people carried this name — #8,365 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,600 people counted. That is down 2% from 4,040 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Houlihan surname

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hUallacháin (“descendant of Uallachán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive of uallach (“proud, arrogant”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Houlihan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 71 births for the Houlihan name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 33 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 49
Leinster 20
Connacht 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Houlihan in American newspapers,
1913.

Newspaper page from The Ellensburg Dawn carrying the name Houlihan
The Ellensburg Dawn 1913-03-13
Newspaper page from Lincoln County Leader carrying the name Houlihan
Lincoln County Leader 1913-03-14
Newspaper page from The Colville Examiner carrying the name Houlihan
The Colville Examiner 1913-03-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 17,320 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Houlihan in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1990s.

4,339 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Houlihan. The most, 1,031, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,663
New South Wales 1,359
Queensland 1,023
South Australia 122
ACT (Canberra) 89
Western Australia 66
Tasmania 9
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Houlihan.

Who carried it

People named Houlihan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Patrick Houlihan 1889–1963 · politician
  • Jim Houlihan 1898–1967 · hurler
  • John C. Houlihan 1910–1986 · politician
  • Con Houlihan 1925–2012 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · 25 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Houlihan,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States886 records

886 records of the Houlihan name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 265
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 202
  • Other U.S. records 419
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Michael D. Houlihan

    Born 1916 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; clerk from New York County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Richard Houlihan

    Born 1947; from Brockton, Massachusetts. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ann Houlihan

    Arrived at New York in 1851 aboard the Constitution from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Great Britain.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 886 records for Houlihan in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia189 records

189 records of the Houlihan name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 72
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 46
  • Other Australian records 71
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Daniel Houlihan

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Java, arriving 1833; ticket of leave 1838.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Houlihan

    Arrived in Queensland in 1883 aboard the Kapunda, as an infant.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Houlihan

    Retired of Noble Park, Victoria; died 1981.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 189 records for Houlihan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada50 records

50 records of the Houlihan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 47
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Catherine Houlihan

    Died 1921 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Tom Houlihan

    Died 1948; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Cyril Benedict Houlihan

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 50 records for Houlihan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand12 records

12 records of the Houlihan name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 11
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Francis Houlihan

    Died 1893, aged 84; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record T. Houlihan

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Melvin Joseph Houlihan

    Died 1982, aged 29; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Houlihan in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Houlihan name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. Houlihan

    Royal Munster Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Houlihan name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Peg Houlihan

    Died 1942; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Houlihan name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bridget Houlihan

    Born 1906 in Ireland; died 1995 in Saint-Herblain (Loire-Atlantique).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Houlihan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Houlihan is.
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