2000
#1,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,956
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.48
Uncommon Last name
Kinney
Derived from the Gaelic "O Cionnaith," meaning "descendant of Cionnaith," a personal name composed of the elements "cion" (respect) and "aeth" (fire).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,608 Americans carry the last name Kinney. That puts it at #1,140 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,904 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kinney 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kinney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,904
Census rank
#1,140
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,180 bearers of the surname Kinney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1140th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kinney
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kinney 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 Kinney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 24,805
- Black or African American7.8% · 2,343
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,350
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,048
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 369
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 265
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kinney
Kinney 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
#1,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,558
+602 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 10.70
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#1,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,180
-1,378 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 10.10
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,032 | 30,956 | 11.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,113 | 31,558 | 10.70 | +602 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #1,140 | 30,180 | 10.10 | -1,378 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 27 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 Kinney 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 | #1,113 | #1,140 | -2.4% |
| Count | 31,558 | 30,180 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 10.70 | 10.10 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kinney bearers went from 31,558 to 30,180 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,113 to #1,140.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kinney
FAQ
Kinney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kinney?
Name Census estimates that about 34,608 living Americans carry the surname Kinney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,904 residents.
How common is Kinney?
Kinney ranks #1,140 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,180 people with the surname Kinney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,608), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Kinney.
Has Kinney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kinney went from 31,558 recorded bearers to 30,180. That is a decrease of 1,378 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,113 to #1,140.
What does the Census say about the background of Kinney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kinney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (24,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kinney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kinney (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 Kinney mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "O Cionnaith," meaning "descendant of Cionnaith," a personal name composed of the elements "cion" (respect) and "aeth" (fire). 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 Kinney (10.10 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 Kinney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.