It's sort of a long story.
Phelan's an Irish name, one I actually got out of a book.
(I forgot exactly which book, but I know it was one...)
The name stuck, because the character really made me take a look at who I was and where I was going.
The name's been synonymous with my RL name since then, long before I got hooked on furry.
Naturally, as soon as I needed a name for a persona, I needed something unique.
It was easy enough from there, though the surname is a misnomer.
I'm not a hawk, but rather a falcon; "Hawk" is just easier to articulate with another "F" syllable.
It actually took something like two years for me to settle on the animal, but I haven't been able to make myself change since (nor have I wanted to).