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

Henighan, 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 Henighan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henighan in America

Henighan is the 127494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henighan surname appeared 134 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 Henighan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henighan 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 Henighan

The surname HENIGHAN originated in Ireland, particularly in the northern counties of Ulster. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó hEinrí, which means "descendant of Henry." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by families descended from someone named Henry, likely in the 13th or 14th century when the use of hereditary surnames became more common in Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HENIGHAN name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Donnchadh Ó hEinrí, or Donncha O'Henry, who was a prominent figure in the early 15th century. This suggests that the HENIGHAN name was already established by that time.

In the 16th century, the HENIGHAN name appears in various legal and administrative records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Chancery Rolls. For example, a John Henighan is mentioned in the Fiants of 1551, indicating that he received a grant of land in County Fermanagh.

The HENIGHAN name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Brian Henighan, a 17th-century Irish Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Clogher from 1648 to 1658. He played a significant role in the Confederate Wars and was a staunch supporter of the Irish Catholic cause.

Another prominent figure was Patrick Henighan (1726-1802), an Irish soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Leitrim in the Irish House of Commons. He was also a member of the famous Irish Volunteers, a patriotic military organization that campaigned for greater Irish autonomy.

In the 19th century, John Henighan (1822-1903) was a successful Irish businessman and philanthropist from County Cavan. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and religious institutions in Ireland.

Furthermore, the HENIGHAN name has been linked to several place names in Ireland, particularly in counties like Fermanagh, Leitrim, and Cavan. For instance, the townland of Henighan's Hill in County Fermanagh was likely named after a local family with the HENIGHAN surname.

Overall, the HENIGHAN surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Ireland, with notable bearers of the name making significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries. Its origins lie in the Irish Gaelic language and its association with the name Henry, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Irish people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henighan

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

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

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

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