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

Kirwan, 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 Kirwan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirwan in America

Kirwan is the 12732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirwan surname appeared 2,424 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kirwan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirwan 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 Kirwan

The surname Kirwan is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Ciardhubháin, meaning "descendant of Ciardhubhán," which was itself derived from the personal name Ciardhubhán, composed of the elements "ciar" meaning "black" and "dubhán" meaning "little dark one."

The Kirwan family was part of the Gaelic aristocracy and held lands in County Galway, particularly around the area of Loughrea. They were among the principal families of the Connacht region and played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the province.

One of the earliest documented references to 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 notable member of the family, Muircheartach Ó Ciardhubháin, who was killed in a battle against the English in 1311.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kirwans were involved in various conflicts and rebellions against English rule in Ireland. One prominent figure was John Kirwan (c. 1565-1627), who served as a captain in the Irish Confederate Wars and was later executed for his role in the uprising.

Another notable member of the family was Patrick Kirwan (1662-1741), a Jacobite soldier and landowner in County Galway. He was heavily involved in the Jacobite risings in support of the deposed Catholic King James II and his descendants.

In the 18th century, the Kirwan name gained recognition through the accomplishments of Richard Kirwan (1733-1812), a renowned chemist and mineralogist. He made significant contributions to the study of mineralogy and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

The Kirwan surname has also been associated with several distinguished figures in the Catholic Church. One example is Bishop Walter Kirwan (1811-1888), who served as the Bishop of Galway from 1857 until his death.

While the Kirwan family originated in County Galway, over time the name spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond. It can be found in various spellings, such as Kerwan, Kerivan, and Kirvin, reflecting local variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirwan

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

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

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

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