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Irish surname

O'Hanlon: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAnluain (often written Ó hAnnluain) · 'descendant of Anluan' (great hero or champion)

O'Hanlon is from Ó hAnluain, 'descendant of Anluan', the name of a distinguished Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Niallain (now the barony of Oneilland) and once of Oirthear (now the barony of Orier) in Co. Armagh. Woulfe (1923) says O'Hanlon was hereditary royal standard bearer north of the Boyne and that the name was still numerous in Armagh.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Hanlon surname
Irish formÓ hAnluain (often written Ó hAnnluain)
Meaning'descendant of Anluan' (great hero or champion)
CountiesArmagh, Dublin, Louth, Kerry
Other spellings5
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O'Hanlon crest gifts

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Origin of the O'Hanlon name

A distinguished Oriel family, chiefs of Ui Niallain, now the barony of Oneilland in Co. Armagh, and once of Oirthear, now the barony of Orier in the east of the same county. Woulfe calls them 'a powerful clan' with many chiefs named in the Irish annals.[1]

  1. 1587Sir Oghie O'Hanlon surrenders his lands; regranted, and the chieftaincy abolished.[1]
  2. 1600Redmond O'Hanlon's father or grandfather killed at the pass of Carlingford.[5]
  3. 1653Family dispossessed of seven townlands under the Cromwellian settlement (Webb).[5]
  4. 1681Redmond O'Hanlon betrayed near Eight-mile-Bridge, Co. Down, 25 April.[5]
  5. 189095 Hanlon entries (incl. varieties) and 22 O'Hanlon in the birth indexes.[2][3]

Where in Ireland

Co. ArmaghAncestral territory (Oneilland and Orier baronies); 'still numerous in Armagh' (Woulfe); O'Hanlon principally found there in 1890.[1][3]
Co. DublinNamed for both O'Hanlon and Hanlon births in the 1890 indexes.[2][3]
Co. LouthAmong the counties where Hanlon was principally found in 1890.[2]
Co. KerryAmong the counties where Hanlon was principally found in 1890.[2]
Co. WexfordAmong the counties where Hanlon was principally found in 1890.[2]

Notable people named O'Hanlon

Redmond O'Hanlonbetrayed 1681Ulster proprietor dispossessed under the Cromwellian settlement; led a band of 'tories' in Tyrone and Armagh.[5]
John O'Hanlon1821–1905Priest, born at Stradbally, Queen's Co.; wrote on Irish history; his greatest work was his 'Lives of the Irish Saints'.[6]

Other spellings

Hanlon · Handlon · Hanlan · Hanlin · O Hanlone[1][2][4]

The O'Hanlon coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Hanlon 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.

O'Hanlon surname: questions

What does the surname O'Hanlon mean?

Woulfe gives O'Hanlon as Ó hAnluain, 'descendant of Anluan', a personal name meaning great hero or champion.[1]

Where is the O'Hanlon family from?

Co. Armagh. Woulfe says the O'Hanlons were chiefs of Ui Niallain, now the barony of Oneilland, and once of Oirthear, now the barony of Orier. In 1890 O'Hanlon births were found chiefly in Dublin and Armagh.[1][3]

Are Hanlon and O'Hanlon the same name?

Woulfe treats them as one name: he lists O'Hanlon, Hanlon, Handlon and Hanlan as forms of Ó hAnluain. Matheson counted the two spellings separately in 1890: Hanlon had 95 entries, chiefly in Dublin, Kerry, Louth and Wexford, and O'Hanlon 22, chiefly in Dublin and Armagh.[1][2][3]

What was the O'Hanlons' role in old Ireland?

Woulfe says O'Hanlon was hereditary royal standard bearer north of the Boyne, as O'Molloy was to the south.[1]

Who was Redmond O'Hanlon?

Webb describes him as a dispossessed Ulster proprietor under the Cromwellian settlement who led a band of outlaws ('tories') in Tyrone and Armagh, and was betrayed by his foster-brother in 1681.[5]

Sources

  1. Ó hAnluain — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hanluain.php
  2. Hanlon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/hanlon.php
  3. O'Hanlon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ohanlon.php
  4. Hanlon (list no. 808) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/808.php
  5. Redmond O'Hanlon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RedmondOHanlon.php
  6. John O'Hanlon — Catholic Encyclopedia, reproduced, Catholic Answers (catholic.com). catholic.com/encyclopedia/john-ohanlon

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