2000
#16,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Farney
An English surname derived from the place name "Fairnew" in Kent, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,635 Americans carry the last name Farney. That puts it at #19,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 209,636 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farney 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 Farney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 209,636
Census rank
#19,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,426 bearers of the surname Farney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farney
The surname Farney has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "fear na" meaning "man of the" and "an óighe" meaning "the youth" or "young man". This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to describe a young man or adolescent.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Farney can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1197, the chronicle mentions a man named Farney O'Mulchahy, who was a chieftain of the O'Mulchahy clan in County Cork.
The Farney surname is particularly associated with County Monaghan, Ireland, where it is believed to have originated. The town of Carrickmacross, located in County Monaghan, was once known as Farney or Ferneys, suggesting a connection between the surname and the local geography.
In the 16th century, a famous bearer of the Farney surname was Sir Edward Farney, an Irish nobleman and soldier who fought in the Nine Years' War against the English in the late 16th century. He was known for his bravery and leadership in the conflict, which ultimately resulted in his execution by the English authorities in 1603.
Another notable figure with the Farney surname was John Farney, a 17th-century Irish Jacobite soldier who fought for the Catholic King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland. He was killed in the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, which was a decisive victory for the forces of William of Orange.
In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Farney family was Michael Farney (1718-1789), an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise from 1776 until his death. He was known for his efforts to promote education and religious tolerance during a period of significant sectarian tensions in Ireland.
The Farney surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Farney Bridge in County Monaghan and Farney Castle, a 16th-century tower house located near Carrickmacross.
Overall, the surname Farney has a rich history rooted in the traditions and conflicts of medieval and early modern Ireland, with bearers of the name playing significant roles in military, religious, and political affairs throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farney
Among Census respondents with the surname Farney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Farney 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 Farney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,331
- Two or more races2.9% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 35
- Black or African American0.7% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farney
Farney 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
#17,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,603
+50 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 645 places
2020
#19,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,426
-177 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 1,511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,906 | 1,553 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,551 | 1,603 | 0.54 | +50 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 645 places |
| 2020 | #19,062 | 1,426 | 0.48 | -177 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 1,511 places |
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 Farney 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 | #17,551 | #19,062 | -8.6% |
| Count | 1,603 | 1,426 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.48 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farney bearers went from 1,603 to 1,426 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 1,511 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,551 to #19,062.
FAQ
Farney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farney?
Name Census estimates that about 1,635 living Americans carry the surname Farney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 209,636 residents.
How common is Farney?
Farney ranks #19,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,426 people with the surname Farney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,635), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Farney.
Has Farney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farney went from 1,603 recorded bearers to 1,426. That is a decrease of 177 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,551 to #19,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Farney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Farney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Farney (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 Farney mean?
An English surname derived from the place name "Fairnew" in Kent, England. 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 Farney (0.48 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 common is the surname Farney?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Farney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.