What do you know about the last name Phalen?

Question

I've recently been told that this is my father's biological parents' last name (he was adopted, obviously). He's not curious about them, so I don't want to go around him and get into any in-depth searches, but I'm curious.

Someone has told me that Phalen is an old-English name...Someone else has said that it's a Jewish name.

Anyone out there have more info?

Who said I care what people think? And I'm not going to take it, because I was given another last name when I was born, and then took another when I got married. I'm not looking to get a new last name, I'm just curious about the ancestry.

Answer 1

Phalen

Variant of German Vahlen, from a tribal name, as in Ostfalen (Eastphalia) and Westfalen (Westphalia). Compare Bayer, Hess, Sachs, Schwab.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

You can run those other names (Bayer, Hess, Sachs, Schwab) through the same page,

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?ln=

if you like. It is one of Ancestry's free ones.


http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
has 633 entries, if you use just the surname and click "Omit blanks" next to the Birth Place.

30 years of experience, and a grandfather named Wilken, whose family I've found as Wilken, Wilkin, Wilkens and Wilkins, tells me his bio family's ancestors are in records as Phalan, Phalen, Phelan, Phelen and probably, if they ever lived in Arkansas or West Virginia, all of the above but with an "F" instead of a "Ph".

You can usually find Germans who were Jewish, Lutheran and Catholic for any German name in the book.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Phelan
variant of Whelan.
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fialáin ‘descendant of Fialán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of Fial, meaning ‘generous’, ‘modest’, ‘honorable’. This is the surname of a bardic family in northern Ireland.

A bardic name is a pseudonym used, in Wales, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardic name
Hope this helps.

Answer 3

You shouldn't care what people think, that's a good name so take it. (something) Phalen. Yup thats a good last name...