hooligan

Where does the word "hooligan" come from? It comes from Irish Houlihan, and was adopted directly into English (1890s).

Hooligan’s story begins in Irish: Houlihan meant “a surname.” Possibly derived from an Irish surname associated with a rowdy fictional or real family in London. It reached English by 1890s as hooligan. Adopted in London slang for a rowdy troublemaker. Today, hooligan means a violent troublemaker, especially one involved in gang or crowd violence.

1. Stage 1 · Irish · 1890s Houlihan "a surname", possibly derived from an Irish surname associated with a rowdy fictional or real family in London.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1890s hooligan "a violent troublemaker", adopted in London slang for a rowdy troublemaker.