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

Guinness, 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 Guinness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guinness in America

Guinness is the 111988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guinness surname appeared 157 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Guinness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guinness 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 Guinness

The surname Guinness originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norman French word "Engaine," meaning a wedge or ingot, which was likely a reference to a metalworker's occupation. The name was first recorded in County Down, Ulster, in the early 13th century.

The earliest known bearer of the Guinness surname was Ranaulf de Engaine, who was listed in the Chartularies of St. Mary's Abbey in Dublin in 1207. Over time, the spelling evolved from Engaine to Gingen, Gyngen, and eventually Guinness.

In the 14th century, the Guinness family gained prominence in County Wexford, where they held lands and estates. One notable member was Sir Walter Guinness, who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1376.

During the 16th century, the Guinness name appeared in various records and documents, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Annals of the Four Masters. In 1553, a John Guinness was mentioned in the Fiants as being granted lands in County Wicklow.

The most famous bearer of the Guinness surname was Arthur Guinness, who was born in 1725 in County Kildare. In 1759, he founded the iconic Guinness Brewery in St. James's Gate, Dublin, which became a global success and cemented the family's legacy. Arthur Guinness passed away in 1803.

Another notable Guinness was Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, who was born in 1847 and played a significant role in the expansion and modernization of the Guinness Brewery. He was also a prominent philanthropist and art collector. He died in 1927.

Walter Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne, was a British diplomat and politician born in 1880. He served as the Secretary of State for the Colonies and was assassinated in 1944 during his tenure as the British Resident Minister in Cairo.

The Guinness name has been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Guinness Bridge in County Wexford and Guinness Square in Dublin, further solidifying its connection to the country's history and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guinness

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

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

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

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