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

Happy, 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 Happy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Happy in America

Happy is the 37288th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Happy surname appeared 598 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 Happy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Happy 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 Happy

The surname "HAPPY" is of English origin, first appearing in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hæppen," meaning luck or fortune, which later evolved into the word "happy" as we know it today.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Sussex Parish Registers of 1597, where a William Happy is mentioned. It is thought that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a cheerful or fortunate disposition.

In the 17th century, the Happy surname began to appear more frequently in various historical records. One notable example is John Happy, a merchant from London who was born in 1623 and was involved in the East India trade.

The Happy name has also been associated with several place names throughout England, such as Happy Land in Wiltshire and Happy Valley in Gloucestershire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the Happy surname. One such person was Robert Happy (1635-1701), an English clergyman and author who wrote on religious topics.

Another prominent figure was Sir James Happy (1760-1827), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his service.

In the 19th century, the Happy surname continued to be found across various professions and regions. One example is William Happy (1812-1891), a Scottish painter and illustrator who was known for his landscape paintings of the Scottish Highlands.

As the centuries progressed, the Happy surname spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by immigrants seeking new opportunities.

While the surname may have begun as a descriptive nickname, it has since taken on a life of its own, with many families proudly carrying on the Happy name and its unique history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Happy

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

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

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

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