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

Heagney, 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 Heagney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heagney in America

Heagney is the 55121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heagney surname appeared 373 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 Heagney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heagney 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 Heagney

The surname Heagney originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern regions of Ulster and Connacht. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name Ó hÉighnigh, which means "descendant of Éighnigh." The name Éighnigh itself is thought to be a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "éigne," meaning "violence" or "force."

Historically, the Heagney surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing variations in spelling such as Heagney, Heighney, Heigney, and Hagney. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

In the 17th century, the Heagney family was prominently associated with County Fermanagh in Ulster. During this time, a notable figure with the surname was Phelim Heagney, who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

Over the centuries, the Heagney surname has been carried by several notable individuals. In the 18th century, Patrick Heagney (1732-1810) was a prominent Irish scholar and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and literature. Another notable figure was John Heagney (1790-1865), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, in the mid-19th century.

In the 19th century, the Heagney surname gained recognition through the work of James Heagney (1820-1890), an Irish-American author and journalist who wrote extensively on Irish culture and politics. His brother, Daniel Heagney (1825-1892), was also a notable figure, serving as a Catholic priest and educator in New York.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Heagney surname was Michael Heagney (1915-1988), an Irish-born Australian actor and filmmaker who had a successful career in both Australia and Hollywood.

While the origins of the Heagney surname can be traced back to Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the earliest records and historical references remain firmly rooted in the northern regions of Ireland, where the name first emerged and gained prominence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heagney

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

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

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

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