# Callahan (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/callahan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 50,524 |
| US rank (2010) | 682 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 6,111 people |
| Change since 2000 | +1.2% (49,925 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkæləhæn/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Calahan, Callaham, Callihan, Callaghan |

## Etymology

From Irish Ó Ceallacháin, from Ceallachán, diminutive of the given name Ceallach. Doublet of Kelly and Kellogg.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Callahan in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 90% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 5.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Callahan in the United States.

## People named Callahan

- Ryan Callahan, American ice hockey player
- Bill Callahan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (1966-)
- Steven Callahan, American sailor and writer
- John Callahan, American actor (1953-2020)
- Harry Callahan, American photographer (1912–1999)
- Mary Callahan Erdoes, American banker
- Sonny Callahan, American politician (1932–2021)
- William P. Callahan, American Roman Catholic priest
- Gene Callahan, American art director (1923-1990)
- James T. Callahan, American actor (1930-2007)
- Jordan Callahan, American basketball player (born 1990)
- Mushy Callahan, American boxer (1905–1986)

## Similar surnames

Calhoun, Callihan, Calahan, Calhoon, Callan, Callen, Callaham, Cahalane, Colon, Cline, Cullen, Colin.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.