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

Dennehy, 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 Dennehy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dennehy in America

Dennehy is the 16544th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dennehy surname appeared 1,735 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dennehy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dennehy 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 Dennehy

The surname Dennehy originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic Ó Dónaigh, meaning "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a personal name that meant "brown warrior" or "dark chief." The name Dennehy is an anglicized version of the original Gaelic form.

The surname Dennehy has its roots in County Cork, Ireland, where it was concentrated in the baronies of Duhallow and Muskerry. It is believed that the Dennehy clan descended from the Uí Duinnchuan, a branch of the Uí Fidgenti, who were a powerful family in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dennehy can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle compiled in the early 12th century. The annals mention a Donnchadh Ua Dónaigh, who was the chief of Hy-Duinnchuain, in the year 1027.

In the 16th century, the Dennehy family was prominent in the area of Muskerry, County Cork. During this period, several members of the family held positions of influence, including Tadhg Dennehy, who was the Bishop of Ross from 1536 to 1554.

Another notable figure was Donnchadh Dennehy, who lived in the late 16th century and was a renowned Irish poet and scholar. His work, known as the "Dánta Donnchadha Uí Dhónaigh," is a valuable source of information about the history and culture of the Gaelic Irish.

In the 17th century, the Dennehy family faced challenges due to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent confiscation of lands. Despite this, the family maintained a presence in County Cork, and some members emigrated to other parts of Ireland and abroad.

One prominent individual from this period was John Dennehy, who was born in County Cork in 1678. He was a Catholic priest and a prominent figure in the Irish Jacobite movement, which sought to restore the Catholic Stuart monarch to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, we find James Dennehy, who was born in 1826 in County Cork. He was a renowned Irish artist and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits depicting the life and scenery of his native county.

In the 20th century, the name Dennehy continued to be associated with various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts. One notable figure was Brian Dennehy, an American actor born in 1938 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Irish immigrant parents. He had a successful career in films, television, and theater, earning numerous awards and nominations for his performances.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dennehy

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

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

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

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