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

Farney, 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 Farney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farney in America

Farney is the 17551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farney surname appeared 1,603 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 Farney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farney 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farney

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Farney, 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!