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

Henneghan, 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 Henneghan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henneghan in America

Henneghan is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henneghan surname appeared 138 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 Henneghan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henneghan 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 Henneghan

The surname Henneghan is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Ó hAnnaghain or Ó hAnlugáin, meaning 'descendant of Anlughán', a personal name derived from the diminutive of anluan, meaning 'very liberal'. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Donegal and Derry in the northern part of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 12th century. The name Ó hAnluain is mentioned in reference to a chieftain from County Donegal who lived during the 14th century.

The Henneghan surname has also been historically associated with the Gaelic-Irish noble family of O'Hanlon, who were hereditary lords of the territory of Orior (present-day County Armagh) from the 12th to the 17th century. It is believed that some branches of the O'Hanlon clan may have adopted the variant spelling Henneghan over time.

In terms of notable individuals bearing the Henneghan surname, one of the earliest recorded was Terence Henneghan, a Catholic priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He was a professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Salamanca in Spain and authored several works on scholastic philosophy.

Another prominent figure was Patrick Henneghan (c. 1670 - 1740), an Irish Jacobite soldier and officer who fought in the Williamite War in Ireland and the Jacobite Rising of 1715 in Scotland. He is known for his participation in the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715, where he commanded a regiment of Irish Jacobite troops.

In the 19th century, John Henneghan (1835 - 1904) was a notable Irish-American politician who served as the 31st Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1892 to 1894. He was also a successful businessman and played a significant role in the development of the city's brewing industry.

More recently, Michael Henneghan (born 1957) is an Irish-born American film and television actor, best known for his roles in shows like The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and Daredevil. He has also appeared in several notable films, including The Departed and Shutter Island.

Throughout its history, the Henneghan surname has maintained a strong presence in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Donegal, Derry, and Armagh, as well as among the Irish diaspora in countries like the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henneghan

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

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

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

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