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

Lahey, 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 Lahey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lahey in America

Lahey is the 12872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lahey surname appeared 2,391 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 Lahey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lahey 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 Lahey

The surname Lahey is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Lathach," which means "a place of willows" or "a place of rushes." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a location or settlement where these plants were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lahey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The document mentions a prominent figure named Seán Ó Lathaidh, who lived in the 15th century and was a member of the Ó Lathaidh clan from County Galway.

In the 16th century, the name Lahey appeared in various legal documents and land records in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Sligo. It is believed that during this time, the Lahey family held significant landholdings and played an influential role in the local communities.

Notable individuals with the surname Lahey include:

1. Brian Lahey (1928-2018), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Lahey Clinic, a renowned healthcare institution in Massachusetts.
2. James Lahey (1800-1888), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland, and played a pivotal role in the development of the Catholic Church in the region.
3. Liam Lahey (born 1974), an Irish hurler who played for the Waterford senior hurling team and won an All-Ireland medal in 2007.
4. Michael Lahey (1796-1877), an Irish-born priest and educator who founded St. Patrick's Seminary in Sydney, Australia, and contributed significantly to the growth of Catholicism in the country.
5. Patrick Lahey (1833-1915), an Irish-born judge and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada, and played a role in the establishment of the province's legal system.

While the surname Lahey has evolved over time, with variations such as Lahy, Lahiff, and Lahiff, its roots can be traced back to the Irish Gaelic word "Lathach," reflecting the historical and cultural significance of this name in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lahey

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

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

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

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