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

Kavanaugh, 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 Kavanaugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kavanaugh in America

Kavanaugh is the 6109th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kavanaugh surname appeared 5,611 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kavanaugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kavanaugh 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 Kavanaugh

The surname Kavanaugh has its origins in Ireland, originating in the late 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Caomhánach, which means "descendant of Caomhán." Caomhán is a personal name derived from the old Irish word "caomh," meaning "gentle" or "kind."

The Kavanaugh surname is predominantly found in County Leitrim, Ireland, where it is believed to have first emerged. The name is also associated with the counties of Sligo and Cavan, indicating that the family may have had strongholds in these areas as well.

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 early 17th century. The annals mention a Fergal Ó Caomhánach who was a military leader in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Kavanaugh family was known to have held lands in the barony of Mohill, County Leitrim. This is evidenced by the inclusion of several Kavanaughs in the Fiants, a collection of official documents from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

A notable figure in the history of the Kavanaugh name was Fergus Kavanaugh, a 17th-century Irish chieftain and rebel who fought against English rule in Ireland. He was born around 1618 and played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

Another prominent individual was Brian Kavanaugh, a Catholic priest and author who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in County Leitrim around 1670 and is known for his writings on Irish history and theology.

In the 19th century, Michael Kavanaugh (1804-1884) was a respected Irish judge and politician who served as a member of the British Parliament for several years.

The name Kavanaugh has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Kavanaghstown in County Leitrim and Kavanagh's Grove in County Carlow.

Overall, the surname Kavanaugh has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and tradition, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and a strong presence in the counties of Leitrim, Sligo, and Cavan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kavanaugh

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

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

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

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