2000
#18,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,418
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Graney
A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Grádaigh" meaning descendant of Grádach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,501 Americans carry the last name Graney. That puts it at #20,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 228,351 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graney 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 Graney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 228,351
Census rank
#20,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,309 bearers of the surname Graney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graney
The surname Graney has its roots in Ireland, originating from the Gaelic O'Greine, meaning 'descendant of Gréine'. The name Gréine itself is derived from the Old Irish word 'grían', meaning 'sun'. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century, where it was found in various Irish annals and manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Donnchadh Ó Gréine, a prominent Irish cleric who lived in the late 12th century. He was noted for his scholarship and served as the Abbot of the renowned monastery at Clonmacnoise.
The Graney surname was particularly prevalent in counties Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary, where the family held lands and wielded significant influence. In the 14th century, the Annals of Inisfallen mention a notable figure named Diarmaid Ó Gréine, who was a respected bard and historian.
During the 16th century, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as O'Greany, O'Greyny, and Grainy, as it adapted to the English language. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Tadhg Ó Gréine, a prominent Irish chieftain who played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Munster.
In the 17th century, the Graney surname spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly the counties of Clare and Galway. A notable figure from this period was Seán Ó Gréine, a renowned Irish harper and composer who was celebrated for his mastery of traditional Irish music.
The 18th century saw the rise of another prominent figure, Séamus Ó Gréine, a celebrated Irish poet and playwright whose works were widely acclaimed for their literary merit and cultural significance.
Throughout history, the Graney surname has been borne by several notable individuals, including Patrick Graney (1798-1868), an Irish-American civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Erie Canal, and John Graney (1876-1944), a prominent American baseball player and manager who played for several Major League Baseball teams in the early 20th century.
The Graney surname continues to be widely used in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world, serving as a testament to its rich historical roots and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graney
Among Census respondents with the surname Graney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Graney 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 Graney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,225
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 40
- Two or more races1.8% · 24
- Black or African American0.8% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graney
Graney 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
#18,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,535
+117 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 17 places
2020
#20,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,309
-226 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 2,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,120 | 1,418 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,137 | 1,535 | 0.52 | +117 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 17 places |
| 2020 | #20,495 | 1,309 | 0.44 | -226 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 2,358 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 Graney 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 | #18,137 | #20,495 | -13.0% |
| Count | 1,535 | 1,309 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.44 | -15.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graney bearers went from 1,535 to 1,309 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 2,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,137 to #20,495.
FAQ
Graney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graney?
Name Census estimates that about 1,501 living Americans carry the surname Graney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 228,351 residents.
How common is Graney?
Graney ranks #20,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,309 people with the surname Graney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Graney.
Has Graney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graney went from 1,535 recorded bearers to 1,309. That is a decrease of 226 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,137 to #20,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Graney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Graney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Graney (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 Graney mean?
A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Grádaigh" meaning descendant of Grádach. 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 Graney (0.44 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 many people have the surname Graney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.