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

Carney, 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 Carney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carney in America

Carney is the 1066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carney surname appeared 32,897 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Carney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carney 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 Carney

The surname Carney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "Ciarnaigh," which translates to "descendant of Ciarnan." Ciarnan was a personal name rooted in the word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark-featured." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the Carney surname can be traced back to the 12th century in County Tipperary, Ireland. The name was particularly prominent in the region around the town of Carney, which may have influenced the spelling variation.

In the 16th century, the Carney family was well-established in County Tipperary, with several members holding prominent positions in the local community. One notable figure was John Carney, born around 1550, who served as the mayor of Clonmel, a town in County Tipperary.

The surname Carney also appears in historical records from other parts of Ireland, including County Cork and County Kilkenny. One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

In the late 18th century, the Carney family played a role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Patrick Carney, born in 1770, was a prominent rebel leader who fought against British rule in County Wexford.

As the Irish diaspora spread throughout the world, the Carney surname became more widespread. In the 19th century, several Carneys made their mark in various fields:

1. Thomas Carney (1824-1888), an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Kansas.
2. John Carney (1828-1904), an Irish-born Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales.
3. William Carney (1840-1908), an African American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.
4. James Carney (1857-1925), an American baseball player and manager in the late 19th century.
5. Julia Carney (1869-1951), an American philanthropist and social worker who advocated for women's rights and social welfare.

The Carney surname has its roots in the rich history and culture of Ireland, with a strong presence in various regions of the country. As the name spread across the globe, it became associated with individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carney

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

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

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

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