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

Behanna, 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 Behanna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behanna in America

Behanna is the 52267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behanna surname appeared 397 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 Behanna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behanna 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 Behanna

The surname Behanna originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "beith" meaning birch tree and "áth" meaning ford, suggesting a connection to a place with a ford near a birch tree or birch grove. The earliest known spelling variations include Behannan, Behannyn, and Behenyn.

The name Behanna can be traced back to the 16th century, appearing in various historical records and manuscripts from that period in the Ulster region. One notable mention is found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, which documented land grants and legal proceedings in Ireland during her reign (1558-1603).

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Behanna was Pádraig Ó Behanain, who lived in County Tyrone in the late 16th century. He was a prominent landowner and chieftain of the local Gaelic clan. Another early reference is to Seán Ó Behanain, a scholar and poet from County Donegal who lived in the early 17th century.

In the 17th century, the name Behanna appeared in the Hearth Money Rolls of Ireland, which were tax records listing households and their occupants. Several Behanna households were recorded in Counties Tyrone and Donegal during this period.

A notable figure in the 18th century was Eoghan Ó Behanain (1720-1798), a respected Irish language scholar and teacher from County Tyrone. He is credited with preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture during a time of suppression under English rule.

In the 19th century, Séamus Ó Behanain (1815-1892) was a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement. He actively advocated for Irish independence and cultural revival through his writings and political activism.

Other individuals with the Behanna surname include Caitlín Ní Bhehanain (1875-1949), a celebrated Irish traditional singer and storyteller from County Donegal, and Pádraig Ó Behanain (1901-1976), a renowned poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the Irish literary renaissance.

While the name Behanna is most commonly associated with its Irish origins, it has also been found in various parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behanna

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

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

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

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