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

Kilkenny, 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 Kilkenny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kilkenny in America

Kilkenny is the 20491st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kilkenny surname appeared 1,295 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 Kilkenny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny

The surname Kilkenny originates from Ireland and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Irish town of Kilkenny, which translates to "church of the woods" or "church of the Cainnigh." The name is believed to have been first used as a surname by families who hailed from or lived in the town of Kilkenny.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kilkenny can be found in medieval Irish records and manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which dates back to the 17th century. One notable example is John Kilkenny, a Franciscan friar who lived in the 15th century and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

During the Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century, the Kilkenny surname gained prominence as the town of Kilkenny became an important center of Norman power and influence. The surname is associated with several notable figures from this period, including William de Kilkenny, a Norman knight who was granted lands in Kilkenny in the late 12th century.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kilkenny surname was also found in England, as Irish families with this name migrated to various parts of the country. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Richard Kilkenny, a soldier and landowner in Oxfordshire who was born in the late 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the Kilkenny surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Kilkenny (1532-1608), an English playwright and author.
2. Edward Kilkenny (1675-1743), an Irish politician and landowner.
3. Mary Kilkenny (1777-1855), an Irish novelist and poet.
4. James Kilkenny (1842-1925), an American Civil War veteran and politician.
5. Michael Kilkenny (1887-1964), an Irish-born Australian labor leader and politician.

The Kilkenny surname has remained prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Kilkenny and surrounding areas, where it originated. It has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to Irish migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kilkenny

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

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

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

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