Skip to content
  • Start your family tree

Origins of the Whelan surname

A collage of historical images including two family portraits and a postcard of people boarding a ship

About the Whelans

We have a total number of 43799 records for people with the last name Whelan.

Find out more about your family in our records

or try an advanced search

“

I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.

SS
Stuart
TrustPilot review
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Whelans.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Whelan family's history

Where do most Whelans live?

In 1921, most Whelans lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Whelans

How common is your surname?

You have a rare surname! It's not in the top 1000 UK surnames!

We have 20,400 records for the Whelan surname. The oldest one dates back to 1820.

Who were Whelans most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Whelans.

What are the most common Whelan first names?

  • John
  • James
  • Mary
  • Margaret

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Whelan family members

Common jobs for Whelans

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Whelans in 1921
Dressmaker

70

Laundress

68

Charwoman

61

Cotton Weaver

57

Domestic Servant

57

Common Male occupations for Whelans in 1921
General Labourer

136

Dock Labourer

82

Cooper

59

Tailor

58

Fireman

55

An image of a census transcript and a picture of a dairy farmer holding two milk jugs

Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 87,000 family trees with the Whelan surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Whelans.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Share your discoveries

Start your family history journey

Start free trial

Start free trial