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

Ahern, 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 Ahern surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ahern in America

Ahern is the 4322nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ahern surname appeared 8,221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ahern.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ahern 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.

The history of the last name Ahern

The surname Ahern originated in Ireland, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Hadhrain," which means "descendant of Adhran." Adhran is derived from the Old Irish name "Adhran," a diminutive form of the root "adhr," meaning "fire."

The Ahern name is predominantly found in County Cork and County Limerick, where the family held lands and titles. In the 13th century, the name appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, an Irish chronicle that records events from the 5th to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Book of Leinster, a 12th-century manuscript that contains some of the oldest remnants of Irish literature.

One of the earliest recorded members of the Ahern family was Dermot O'Hadhrain, who was the Chief of Aharlagh in County Cork in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Conor O'Hadhrain, who was the Bishop of Emly in County Tipperary in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name was anglicized to Ahern, and variations such as Aherne, Ahearn, and Ahearne emerged. During this period, the name was also associated with the place name Aherlow, a town in County Tipperary, which is derived from the Irish "Áth Urmhumhan," meaning "ford of the great water."

Notable figures with the surname Ahern include Bertie Ahern (born 1951), an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from 1997 to 2008. Cecilia Ahern (born 1981) is an Irish novelist known for her bestselling novel "P.S. I Love You." Tom Ahern (1924-2018) was an American actor and comedian famous for his role in the television series "Barney Miller."

Other notable individuals with the Ahern surname include Michael Ahern (1899-1980), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, and William Ahern (1874-1941), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Waltham, Massachusetts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ahern

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

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 Ahern was:

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 Ahern has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Ahern was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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