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

Hynes, 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 Hynes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hynes in America

Hynes is the 4388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hynes surname appeared 8,104 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hynes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hynes 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 Hynes

The surname Hynes is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'hUigin" or "O'Higgin," meaning "descendant of Uigin." The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, Ireland, in the medieval period.

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 compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention "Tadhg O'Huigin," an Irish chieftain who lived in the 13th century.

The surname Hynes is also associated with the Irish clan of O'Higgins, which historically held lands in County Sligo and County Mayo. The name likely evolved from O'Higgin to Hynes due to anglicization and variations in spelling over time.

In the 16th century, the Hynes family was prominent in County Sligo, particularly in the area around Ballymote. Records from this period mention individuals such as Conor Hynes, a landowner in Ballymote, and Patrick Hynes, a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 1500s.

During the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, several members of the Hynes family played notable roles, including Theobald Hynes, who served as a captain in the Confederate forces, and Patrick Hynes, who was involved in the defense of Sligo town.

In the 18th century, the Hynes family became more widespread throughout Ireland, with branches settling in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Clare. One notable figure from this period was John Hynes (1766-1832), a Irish Catholic priest and writer who advocated for Catholic emancipation in Ireland.

Another prominent individual with the surname Hynes was Samuel Hynes (1824-1909), an Irish-born British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in action.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the surname Hynes emigrated from Ireland to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, contributing to the spread and diversity of the name globally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hynes

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

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

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

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