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

Kinney, 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 Kinney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kinney in America

Kinney is the 1113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kinney surname appeared 31,558 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Kinney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kinney 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 Kinney

The surname Kinney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "cionaodha," meaning "ancient" or "old." It is believed to have first emerged in the 14th century in County Galway, Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The name appears as "Cionaodha" and is associated with various families in the western regions of Ireland.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was Diarmaid Cionaodha, a chieftain from County Galway who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical records for his involvement in local conflicts and battles.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Kinney, Kenney, Kenny, and Kinnie. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic interpretation of the original Gaelic name.

In the 16th century, the surname Kinney began to appear in English records, particularly in the areas of County Galway and County Mayo. This coincided with the gradual Anglicization of Irish names during the Tudor period.

One notable figure from this period was Eoghan Kinney, a poet and scholar born in County Mayo around 1550. His works, written in both Irish and Latin, were highly regarded and contributed to the preservation of Irish literary traditions.

In the 17th century, the surname spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond, as individuals bearing the name migrated or were displaced due to political and economic factors. Some notable individuals from this era include Fergus Kinney, a soldier who fought in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s, and Seán Kinney, a Catholic priest and writer born in County Galway in 1670.

As the name Kinney became more widespread, it was also associated with various place names, such as Kinney Lough in County Mayo and Kinney's Cross in County Westmeath. These names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kinney surname continued to be prominent, particularly in Ireland, but also in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Kinney (1774-1843), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, and John Kinney (1803-1875), an Irish-American politician and businessman who played a significant role in the development of New York City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kinney

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

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

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

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