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

Byrnes, 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 Byrnes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Byrnes in America

Byrnes is the 3271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Byrnes surname appeared 11,039 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Byrnes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Byrnes 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 Byrnes

The surname Byrnes is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Broin" or "O'Brain," which means "descendant of Bran." The name Bran itself is an old Irish name meaning "raven" or "crow." The Byrnes name can be traced back to the 10th century in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Galway, Clare, and Tipperary.

The earliest recorded instances of the Byrnes surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, an ancient chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, the Byrnes family is mentioned as a prominent clan in Connacht and Thomond (present-day County Clare) during the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the most notable members of the Byrnes family was Dermot O'Broin (c. 1198-1242), also known as Dermot Byrne, who was the King of Thomond from 1234 until his death in 1242. He played a significant role in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland and was involved in several battles against the Norman forces.

Another notable figure was Redmond Byrne (c. 1530-1597), a powerful chieftain of the Byrnes clan in County Clare. He was involved in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland and was eventually captured and executed in 1597.

In the 16th century, the Byrnes family was also associated with the area of Galmoy in County Kilkenny, where they held lands and positions of power. One prominent member from this branch was Sir John Byrne (c. 1570-1642), who served as a judge and was knighted by King James I.

The Byrnes surname can also be found in various historical records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which documented land grants and other legal transactions in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Other notable individuals with the Byrnes surname include William Byrne (1776-1862), an Irish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Dublin, and John Byrne (1786-1847), an Irish painter known for his portraits and religious works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Byrnes

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

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

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

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