Home › Irish Surnames › Callan

Irish surname

Callan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Cathaláin (also Ó Cathláin) · 'descendant of Cathalán' (diminutive of Cathal, battle-mighty)

Woulfe (1923) gives Callan among the anglicised forms of Ó Cathaláin and its shortened form Ó Cathláin, 'descendant of Cathalán' (diminutive of Cathal, battle-mighty). He says Callan is 'more commonly the anglicised form in the North', and names an Ulster family 'now represented by Callan in Monaghan and Louth'. Matheson (1909) records 33 Callan birth entries in Ireland for 1890, in Leinster and Ulster.

Shop Callan crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Callan surname
Irish formÓ Cathaláin (also Ó Cathláin)
Meaning'descendant of Cathalán' (diminutive of Cathal, battle-mighty)
CountiesMonaghan, Louth
Other spellings4
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Callan crest gifts

Clan Ocallan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapGR34 Classic Cap - Ocallan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ocallan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Callan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapVL35 Classic Cap - Callan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Callan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Ocallan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap XZ40 Ocallan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ocallan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Callan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap XF27 Callan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Callan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Callan Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeCallan Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Callan Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeCallan Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99O'Callan Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeO'Callan Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99O'Callan Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeO'Callan Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Callan name

Woulfe: Ó Cathaláin was the name of (1) a Roscommon family, formerly chiefs of Clann Fogartaigh; (2) a Limerick family, formerly chiefs of Uaitne Cliach; (3) an Ulster family 'now represented by Callan in Monaghan and Louth'; and 'doubtless' other families elsewhere.[1]

  1. 1492Four Masters: Philip Maguire, son of William, is slain by 'O'Cathalain'.[6]
  2. 1799Nicholas Callan is born at Dromiskin, County Louth.[7]
  3. 189033 Callan birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 18, Ulster 15.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. MonaghanWoulfe: an Ulster family now represented by Callan in Monaghan and Louth.[1]
Co. LouthMatheson 1890: Callan 'principally found' in Louth and Monaghan.[1][3]

Notable people named Callan

Nicholas Callan1799–1864Born at Dromiskin, Louth; Professor of Natural Philosophy at Maynooth College; died at Maynooth.[7]

Other spellings

Callen · Callin · Cawlin · O Callan[2][4]

The Callan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Callan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Callan surname: questions

What does the surname Callan mean?

Woulfe gives Callan as an anglicised form of Ó Cathaláin, 'descendant of Cathalán' (diminutive of Cathal, battle-mighty), and of the shortened Ó Cathláin.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Callan name from?

Woulfe lists a Roscommon family, a Limerick family and an Ulster family 'now represented by Callan in Monaghan and Louth'. Matheson says that in 1890 Callan was principally found in Louth and Monaghan.[1][3]

Is Callan an Irish surname?

Woulfe lists Callan as an anglicised form of the Irish names Ó Cathaláin and Ó Cathláin. He says it is more commonly the anglicised form in the North.[1][2]

Is Callan the same as Callanan?

Matheson's 1901 list prints Callanan in brackets under Callan, and Callan in brackets under Callanan (both reported from district 360). He explains that a bracketed name also has its own entry and that his lists show names found used interchangeably in registration records, not that they are in all cases forms of the same name. Woulfe does not list Callanan among the forms of Ó Cathaláin or Ó Cathláin.[4][5]

Sources

  1. Ó Cathaláin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cathalain.php
  2. Ó Cathláin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cathlain.php
  3. Callan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/callan.php
  4. Callan — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/222.php
  5. Callanan — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/223.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1492 (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text012.html
  7. Callan, Nicholas — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/NicholasCallan.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).