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

Guinan, 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 Guinan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guinan in America

Guinan is the 16601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guinan surname appeared 1,727 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 Guinan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guinan 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 Guinan

The surname Guinan originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the Gaelic language. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "gionán," which means "a stubborn person" or "a person of an unbending nature." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname upon an individual with a strong-willed or unyielding character.

Guinan is predominantly found in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Ulster and its surrounding regions. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century, with several references appearing in various historical documents and records from that era.

One notable mention of the Guinan surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The Annals reference a certain "Donnchadh Guinan," who was a prominent figure in County Fermanagh during the late 16th century.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of documents related to the English administration in Ireland during the 16th century. These records mention a "Patrick Guinan," who was granted lands in County Tyrone in 1592.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Guinan surname was Reverend Andrew Guinan (1725-1803), a Catholic priest and scholar who served as the vicar-general of the Diocese of Clogher in County Tyrone. He was known for his extensive library and his contributions to the preservation of Irish literature and manuscripts.

The 19th century saw the emergence of John Guinan (1830-1901), a prominent Irish-American businessman and philanthropist from County Mayo. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and was a significant benefactor to various Catholic institutions and charities in New York City.

Another notable figure with the Guinan surname was Patrick Guinan (1857-1935), an Irish-American labor leader and politician from County Leitrim. He played a crucial role in the growth of the Brewery Workers' Union and served as a member of the New York State Assembly in the early 20th century.

While the Guinan surname has its roots firmly planted in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration. The name continues to hold a significant presence in countries with large Irish diaspora communities, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guinan

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

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

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

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