The Whalen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 24,262 people carried this name — #1,470 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,200 people counted. That is up 3% from 23,642 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Whalen surname

Variant of Whelan.

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

In print

Whalen in American newspapers,
1892–1930.

Newspaper page from The Seattle Post-intelligencer carrying the name Whalen
The Seattle Post-intelligencer 1892-08-13
Newspaper page from The Eureka Sentinel carrying the name Whalen
The Eureka Sentinel 1902-12-27
Newspaper page from The Milwaukee Leader carrying the name Whalen
The Milwaukee Leader 1930-05-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Whalen in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

3,252 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whalen. The most, 783, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 5.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,817
Queensland 631
Victoria 256
Western Australia 180
South Australia 145
Tasmania 112
ACT (Canberra) 42
Northern Territory 36

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

Who carried it

People named Whalen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Whalen
    James Whalen 1869–1929 · businessperson
  • John P. Whalen
    John P. Whalen 1878–1905 · lawyer
  • Grover Whalen
    Grover Whalen 1886–1962 · politician
  • Michael Whalen
    Michael Whalen 1902–1974 · actor
  • Charles W. Whalen
    Charles W. Whalen 1920–2011 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 121 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Whalen,
in the records of 6 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 States5,500 records

5,500 records of the Whalen name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,390
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,016
  • Other U.S. records 2,094
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Garland Guy Whalen

    Born 1948; from Denver, Colorado. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William T. Whalen

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; driver from New York County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1968, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catherine Whalen

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool, aged 55; housekeeper. From Liverpool, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 5,500 records for Whalen in the United States.

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

Canada791 records

791 records of the Whalen name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 715
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 27
  • Other Canadian records 49
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Georgina Whalen

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Whalen

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Woodstock, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Oliver Joseph Whalen

    Buried in 1968 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 63.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 791 records for Whalen in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia58 records

58 records of the Whalen name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 26
  • Tasmanian Names Index 9
  • Other Australian records 23
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Margaret Whalen

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1838. Married 1838 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Philip Whalen

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lord Melville, arriving 1830; certificate of freedom 1837.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Nola Doreen Whalen

    Business proprietor of Clayton, Victoria; died 2000.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 58 records for Whalen in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Whalen name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Whalen

    Died 1925, aged 60; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Whalen

    Labour Corps. 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 First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Whalen

    Highland Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 5 records for Whalen in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Whalen name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Gerrit Whalen

    Died 1816 in Maurik, aged 51; baker.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Emmetje Whalen

    Married in 1854 in Obdam.

    Open Archives, Westfries Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johanna E. M. Whalen

    In the population register of Mijdrecht; born 1827 in Ter Aar.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Vecht en Venen (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Whalen name in New Zealand War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record F. Whalen

    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)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Whalen.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Whalen is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Whalen volume
Scroll to Top