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

Feeney, 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 Feeney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feeney in America

Feeney is the 3740th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feeney surname appeared 9,473 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Feeney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feeney 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 Feeney

The surname Feeney is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó Fidhnaídhe, meaning "descendant of Fidhnaídh." Fidhnaídh was a personal name derived from the Gaelic elements "fidh" meaning "wood" and "naídhe" meaning "warrior" or "follower." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a profession or status associated with forestry or woodlands.

The Feeney surname first appeared in records in County Sligo, Ireland, where it was a prominent family name during the Middle Ages. The name is also found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in counties Leitrim, Roscommon, and Mayo. Early spellings of the name included O'Feeney, O'Feenay, and O'Feeny.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Feeney name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a notable figure named Donogh O'Feeney, who was the Chief of Calry in County Sligo in the 14th century.

Another notable Feeney was Turlough O'Feeney, who was appointed the Bishop of Clonfert in County Galway in 1525. He played a significant role in the Irish Reformation and is mentioned in several historical records from that period.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, a Feeney family from County Sligo was granted lands in the Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, for their loyalty to the English crown. This event is recorded in the Book of Survey and Distribution, a record of land grants during the Cromwellian Settlement.

Another notable figure with the Feeney surname was Patrick Feeney (1822-1887), an Irish-American priest and author who founded several Catholic schools and churches in the United States. He was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century.

In more recent history, Michael Feeney (1906-1983) was an Irish playwright and novelist from County Sligo. His works, including the play "In the Summer Twilight" and the novel "The Cock and Anchor," explored themes of rural Irish life and culture.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the Feeney surname throughout history, highlighting its Irish origins and the prominence of the name in various regions of Ireland over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feeney

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

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

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

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