A violent criminal or gang member, especially a young person who causes trouble in the streets.
First appeared in American English around 1870s San Francisco. Possibly from German 'Hudelumpf' or derived from the name 'Hoodle' given to gang members, though the exact origin is disputed and remains a mystery in etymology.
The word 'hoodlum' was so associated with Irish immigrants and gang violence in 1800s America that it became a marker of social prejudice—people used it as a code word for their fears about new immigrant groups, which tells us more about the fears of the time than the actual people.
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