2000
#1,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,963
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.74
Uncommon Last name
Byrne
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Broin," meaning "descendant of Bran" (Bran meaning "raven").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,959 Americans carry the last name Byrne. That puts it at #1,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,399 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Byrne surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Byrne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,399
Census rank
#1,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,742 bearers of the surname Byrne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Byrne, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Byrne
The surname Byrne has its origins in Ireland, dating back to ancient Gaelic times. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Broin," which means "descendant of Bron." Bron was a personal name that likely had roots in the old Celtic word "bron," meaning "a sadness" or "a sorrow."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Byrne can be found in Irish annals from the 11th century. The annals mention several notable individuals bearing the name, including Gilla Pátraic Ó Broin, a cleric and scribe who lived in the late 11th century.
In the 12th century, the Byrnes were a prominent family in County Wicklow, Ireland. They were among the leading septs (clans) of the Uí Fhearghail, a branch of the Uí Dúnchada dynasty that ruled the region of Uí Fhearghail (modern-day County Wicklow).
One of the earliest known references to the name Byrne can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Franciscan monks. The annals mention a Muircheartach Ó Broin, who was the Lord of Uí Fhearghail in the 13th century.
The Byrnes played a significant role in Irish history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, several prominent members of the family are recorded, including Feagh Mac Hugh O'Byrne (c. 1530-1597), a famous Irish chieftain known for his resistance against English rule in Ireland.
Another notable figure was Phelim O'Byrne (fl. 1640s), a Confederate Catholic officer who fought for Irish Catholic interests during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). Phelim O'Byrne was instrumental in the successful defense of the town of Ross during the Siege of Ross in 1643.
In the literary world, the name Byrne is associated with William Pitt Byrne (1806-1861), an Irish writer and journalist who was a co-founder of the influential Dublin University Magazine.
Other notable individuals with the surname Byrne include Robert Byrne (1928-2013), an American chess player and author, and Gabriel Byrne (born 1950), an acclaimed Irish actor known for his roles in films such as "The Usual Suspects" and "Miller's Crossing."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Byrne
Among Census respondents with the surname Byrne, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Byrne bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Byrne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 26,372
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 1,122
- Two or more races2.7% · 778
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 252
- Black or African American0.5% · 144
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 74
Timeline
Historical Census data for Byrne
Byrne appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,503
+540 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 10.00
Rank movement Down 92 places
2020
#1,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,742
-761 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 9.62
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,106 | 28,963 | 10.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,198 | 29,503 | 10.00 | +540 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 92 places |
| 2020 | #1,198 | 28,742 | 9.62 | -761 bearers (-2.6%) | No rank change |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Byrne surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,198 | #1,198 | 0.0% |
| Count | 29,503 | 28,742 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 10.00 | 9.62 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Byrne bearers went from 29,503 to 28,742 (-2.6% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #1,198.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Byrne
FAQ
Byrne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Byrne?
Name Census estimates that about 32,959 living Americans carry the surname Byrne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,399 residents.
How common is Byrne?
Byrne ranks #1,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,742 people with the surname Byrne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,959), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Byrne.
Has Byrne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Byrne went from 29,503 recorded bearers to 28,742. That is a decrease of 761 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it stayed at #1,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Byrne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Byrne, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Byrne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (26,372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Byrne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Byrne (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Byrne mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Broin," meaning "descendant of Bran" (Bran meaning "raven"). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Byrne (9.62 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Byrne?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.