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

Fahy, 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 Fahy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fahy in America

Fahy is the 12904th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fahy surname appeared 2,382 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 Fahy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fahy 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 Fahy

The surname Fahy has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "fáthach," which means "prophetic" or "visionary." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with those who possessed clairvoyant abilities or were revered for their wisdom.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fahy can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a prominent figure named Fáthach Ó Maolconaire, who lived in the 11th century and was renowned for his knowledge of the ancient Irish laws and traditions.

In the 14th century, the name Fahy appeared in the Plea Rolls of County Kilkenny, which were legal records of the time. These rolls documented the activities of a family named Fahy who held lands in the region.

The surname Fahy has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Faheetra and Fahyfeerina, which may have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Fahy throughout history include:

1. Sir Francis Fahy (1767-1833), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
2. John Fahy (1892-1966), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
3. Jane Fahy (1892-1983), an American actress known for her roles in silent films and early talkies.
4. Peter Fahy (born 1958), a former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police in England.
5. Michael Fahy (1967-2016), a New York City firefighter who tragically lost his life while battling a house fire in the Bronx.

Throughout the centuries, the Fahy surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Fay, Fahey, Faye, and Feighey, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences on the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fahy

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!