Hanrahan

Hanrahan is a surname of Irish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó hAnracháin or Ó hAnnracháin, both patronymics meaning “descendant of Anrachán” (a Gaelic personal name). The name has long been found in Ireland and, through centuries of migration, has spread to the wider English-speaking world.

Variants of the name include O’Hanrahan, O’Hanrahane, Hanrahan, and Hanrahy, among others. The different spellings reflect historical shifts in orthography and regional pronunciations in Ireland as well as Anglophone record-keeping in emigrant communities.

In Ireland, the surname is associated with families in several regions, and today it is carried by descendants around the world. Outside Ireland, the name appears in North America, Britain, Australia, and beyond, often among communities with Irish ancestry. The name is primarily a surname, though it has appeared in fiction and popular culture as a character surname, reflecting its Irish heritage.

Notable instances of the surname appear in public records and biographical sources, illustrating the name’s long-standing presence in Anglophone societies. As with many Irish names, spelling and pronunciation variants continue to evolve among families and communities.

See also: O’Hanrahan, Hanrahy.