The word “hooligan” first appeared in London police-court reports in 1894 for the name of a gang in the Lambeth area of London—the Hooligan Boys. In August 1898 a member of the Hooligan gang murdered a person and “Hooligan” became popular in the London press.

Where did the hooligans originate?

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary states that the word may have originated from the surname of a rowdy Irish family in a music hall song of the 1890s. Clarence Rook, in his 1899 book, Hooligan Nights, wrote that the word came from Patrick Hoolihan (or Hooligan), an Irish bouncer and thief who lived in London.

What does the name Hooligan mean?

A hooligan is a rowdy person who causes trouble for others. Hooligans are similar to bullies and thugs. This is a slightly old-fashioned word for a troublemaker, especially a violent troublemaker. People who start a fight during a sports event are acting like hooligans.