Whelan

The family surname Whelan /ˈhwiːlən/ is an anglicisation of the Irish surname, Ó Faoláin. The surname originates from the Middle Irish 'Úa Faeláin' (plural, 'Uí Faeláin') the name of the 10th to 11th century ruling dynasty of the Déisi, a population group inhabiting the area of the modern county of Waterford and south County Tipperary in the early medieval period.