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Irish surname

Halpin: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAilpín · 'descendant of Ailpín' (diminutive of alp, a lump, a stout person)

Woulfe (1923) gives Halpin as an anglicised form of Ó hAilpín, 'descendant of Ailpín' (diminutive of alp, a lump, a stout person). He says the surname appears to have originated in Co. Monaghan, but for centuries it has been found also in Co. Limerick. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 33 Halpin entries, principally in Dublin and Clare.

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Coat of arms associated with the Halpin surname
Irish formÓ hAilpín
Meaning'descendant of Ailpín' (diminutive of alp, a lump, a stout person)
CountiesMonaghan, Limerick, Dublin, Clare
Other spellings5
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Halpin crest gifts

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Origin of the Halpin name

Woulfe: 'This surname appears to have originated in Co. Monaghan, but for centuries it has been found also in Co. Limerick.' He adds that the anglicised forms O Halpeny, Halpeny, &c, represent an older form, Ó hAilpene.[1]

  1. 1690'O HALPIN' printed in Sir James Terry's list of Irish sept names.[5]
  2. 189033 Halpin birth entries in Ireland; principally Dublin and Clare.[2][7]

Where in Ireland

Co. MonaghanWhere Woulfe says the surname 'appears to have originated'.[1]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: 'for centuries it has been found also in Co. Limerick'.[1]
Co. DublinFirst county named for Halpin births in 1890 (Leinster had 18 of 33).[2]
Co. ClareNamed with Dublin as where Halpin births were principally found in 1890.[2]

Other spellings

O Halpin · Halpeny · Halfpenny · O Halpeny · O Halfpenny[1]

The Halpin coat of arms

'O HALPIN' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Halpin is entitled to a coat of arms.[5]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Halpin 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.

Halpin surname: questions

What does the surname Halpin mean?

Woulfe gives Halpin as a form of Ó hAilpín, 'descendant of Ailpín', a diminutive of alp, which he glosses as 'a lump, a stout person'.[1]

Is Halpin an Irish name?

Woulfe lists Halpin, O Halpin, Halpeny and Halfpenny as anglicised forms of the Irish surname Ó hAilpín.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Halpin name from?

Woulfe says it appears to have originated in Co. Monaghan but has been found for centuries also in Co. Limerick. In 1890 Halpin births were principally found in Dublin and Clare.[1][2]

Are Halpin and Halfpenny the same name?

Woulfe lists Halpeny and Halfpenny under Ó hAilpín and says forms like Halpeny represent an older form, Ó hAilpene. Matheson (1901) lists Halfpenny under Halpin; he explains that names listed this way were found, or reported by local officers, to be used interchangeably in registration.[1][3][4][6]

Sources

  1. Ó hAilpín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hailpin.php
  2. Halpin — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/halpin.php
  3. Halpin — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/794.php
  4. Halfpenny — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/788.php
  5. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  6. Memorandum explanatory of Alphabetical List — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php
  7. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php

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