Adney last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Adney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Adney.

Meaning of Adney

Derived from a place name meaning "Eadnoth's island" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.

Adney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Adney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adney in America

Adney is the 30509th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adney surname appeared 765 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Adney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 30509 29840 2.22%
Count 765 743 2.92%
Proportion per 100k 0.26 0.28 -7.41%

The history of the last name Adney

The surname Adney has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "æt dene," meaning "at the valley." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a valley or a low-lying area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Adnei" in this historical document, indicating that it was already in use at that time.

The Adney surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Adney, Addney, Adnie, and Attdenay. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences.

In the 13th century, records show that a John Adney was a resident of Wiltshire, England. Another early bearer of the name was William Adney, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1480.

During the 16th century, the Adney family established a presence in the parish of Kingsclere, Hampshire, where they owned land and held positions of influence within the local community.

One notable individual with the Adney surname was Walter Adney, a respected English clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He served as the rector of Bedwyn, Wiltshire, and was known for his theological writings.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named John Adney made significant contributions to the field of architecture. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Pavilion at Brighton.

Another notable bearer of the Adney surname was Sir Robert Adney, a British military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

Throughout history, the Adney name has been associated with various professions and industries, including agriculture, law, medicine, and education. While the name may have originated from a geographical reference, it has since become a distinctive surname with a rich heritage and a widespread presence across different regions of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Adney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Adney was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.19% 667
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.09% 16
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 4.84% 37
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 3.53% 27

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Adney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.19% 89.50% -2.61%
Black 2.09% 1.08% 63.72%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.81% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 4.84% 3.23% 39.90%
Two or More Races (S)% 1.75% (S)%
Hispanic 3.53% 3.63% -2.79%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Adney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Adney, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Adney last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/adney-surname-popularity/.

"Adney last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/adney-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Adney last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/adney-surname-popularity/.

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