Surname Ó hUilín - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
Ó hUilín: What does the surname Ó hUilín mean?
The Irish surname Ó hUilín is derived from the personal name Uílín, which in turn was derived from the word for "helmet" (cilín). It is quite an uncommon name, which is found mainly in the province of Connacht, especially in the counties of Galway and Mayo. The Ó hUilín family are believed to be descended from a branch of the powerful Ó Flaherty clan, who were a forceful presence in the west of Ireland since the mid-13th century.
In Irish, Ó hUilín means “descendant of Uílín”, and the name Uílín is thought to have been derived from the old Gaelic word cilín, meaning “helmet”. This could indicate that the family had some connection to warfare or combat, or that the first bearer of the name was perhaps a warrior who liked to wear a particular helmet or headgear.
The Ó hUilín family were very influential in the area during the 16th and 17th centuries, building many castles and getting involved in the trading industry. The most famous member of this clan is Diarmuid Ó hUilín (1550-1616), who was the first of his line to be recognized as "The O’Houlihan". Diarmuid was a barrister, a notable merchant, and served in the Irish House of Commons.
A family of Ó hUilín’s still exist today, and many of them are involved in various occupations. This includes science, economics, politics, education, and the military. In short, the Ó hUilín name is steeped in Irish history, and the family continues to be a proud presence in Ireland to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisÓ hUilín: Where does the name Ó hUilín come from?
The last name Ó hUilín is an Irish-Gaelic name that is still quite common in Ireland today. The Ó hUilín surname is derived from the Gaelic name 'Uallachain', which means 'a vengeful person'.
The Ó hUilín surname can trace its roots through Irish records to a 10th-century family of warriors and ringside poets. Currently the name is concentrated in County Cork, where there is a place called Glengarriff that is associated with the Ó hUilín family.
It is also quite common in Galway, particularly in Connemara, and along Ireland's West Coast, as many of the men from this ancient family were seafarers.
Outside Ireland, the surname is especially widespread in North America, due to Irish immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is believed that many of these immigrants settled in the eastern United States and may have kept the surname spelling as it was.
The frequency of the Ó hUilín name is still quite high in Ireland, where many of the descendants from this ancient clan still remain. In the United States, the name is listed among the fifteen most common Irish surnames.
Overall, the Ó hUilín family is a proud and respected part of Irish heritage and continues to be quite common both in Ireland and abroad.
Variations of the surname Ó hUilín
The surname Ó hUilín is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin. The common variants and spellings of the name are O'Houlihan, O’Hoolihan, Hoolihan, O'Hollihan, Hollihan, O’Hooligan, Hooligan, O’Hoolaghan, Hoolaghan and Uilin.
In the Irish language, Ó hUilín is used to denote a descendant of Uilín, a personal name of uncertain origin, although some sources claim it to be derived from the Irish word uileann, which means “elbow” or “elbow joint”.
The most commonly used of these variants is O’Hoolihan, although O’Hooligan and O’Hoolaghan are also popularly used. The name is most commonly found in Counties Cork and Kerry, where the original form Ó hUilín was used for centuries.
The surname is also held in other parts of Ireland including counties Tipperary and Galway. There are many families with the surname in the U.S and U.K as a result of Irish emigration in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The surname Uilin is also found in various forms – assuming the definitive form of Uelin, Ullin and Elin. These are derived from the Irish form of Uilín, as ‘Uil’ is equivalent English phonetics for the Irish ‘O’.
Similarly, variants of the surname also exist in the U.S such as O’Hylene and O’Heylin.
All of the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Ó hUilín derive from the original Irish form of the name. It is a popular surname in many parts of the world and is still shared by an estimated 5,000 people today.
Famous people with the name Ó hUilín
- Finian Ó hUilín: Founder of Finian's Rainbow Music and Arts Festival in Maryland.
- Eoin Ó hUilín: Irish football commentator and television presenter.
- Eoghan Ó hUilín: Irish broadcaster and journalist who was RTÉ's Deputy Editor of News until 2019.
- Pádraic Ó hUilín: Former Irish language journalist and presenter.
- Cormac Ó hUilín: Irish musician and composer from County Mayo.
- Sean Ó hUilín: Irish politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) since 2020.
- Seán Ó hUilín: Irish Gaelic Athlete who won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1987
- Éamon Ó hUilín: Former Director-General of TG4, the Irish language station.
- Fergal Ó hUilín: Irish-language playwright, poet and songwriter.
- Siobhán Ó hUilín: Irish concertina and melodeon player.