2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kaveny
A surname of Irish origin denoting someone from, or associated with, the River Kenney.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Kaveny. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaveny surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Kaveny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaveny, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaveny
The surname Kaveny originated in Ireland, specifically in the Gaelic region of Connacht. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "cáemhanach," which translates to "comely" or "handsome." This suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon an individual with a pleasing or attractive appearance.
Kaveny is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname "Kavanagh," which has its roots in the Gaelic clan name "Ó Cavan" or "Ó Caomhánaigh." This clan was prominent in the counties of Leinster and Wexford, and their name is closely linked to the town of Gorey in County Wexford.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaveny can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The text mentions a Donnchadh Caomhanach, a member of the prominent Uí Dúnchada clan, who lived in the 12th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kaveny was Donal Kavanagh, a chieftain of the Kavanagh clan in County Wexford. He was involved in various conflicts with the English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
Another historical figure with the surname Kaveny was Reverend Thomas Kaveny, an Irish Catholic priest who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was known for his involvement in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and for his efforts in promoting education and assisting the poor in his community.
In the 19th century, John Kaveny, born in 1823 in County Mayo, Ireland, gained recognition as a writer and journalist. He published several works, including "The Irish Emigrant's Guide to the United States" and "The History of the Insurrection in County Mayo."
A notable figure from the 20th century was Mary Kaveny, born in 1886 in County Sligo, Ireland. She was a prominent Irish republican and activist who played a significant role in the Irish War of Independence and the struggle for women's rights.
While the surname Kaveny is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and folklore. The name's origins can be traced back to the medieval period, and it has been carried by individuals who have made valuable contributions to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaveny
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaveny, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaveny bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kaveny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 90
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaveny
Kaveny appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,510 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,510 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kaveny surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaveny bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Kaveny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaveny?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Kaveny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Kaveny?
Kaveny ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Kaveny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kaveny.
Has Kaveny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaveny went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaveny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaveny, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kaveny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaveny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Hispanic (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kaveny (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kaveny mean?
A surname of Irish origin denoting someone from, or associated with, the River Kenney. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kaveny (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Kaveny?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.