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

Leahy, 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 Leahy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leahy in America

Leahy is the 3280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leahy surname appeared 11,014 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Leahy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leahy 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 Leahy

The surname Leahy originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Liathain," which means "descendant of the grey-haired one." It is an anglicized version of the Irish name and is found primarily in the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Leahy can be traced back to the 13th century in various Irish annals and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Donnchadh O'Liathain, who was mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen in 1292.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns of Ireland, which were records of official acts and appointments. One notable figure from this period was Sir Piers Leahy, who was granted land in County Cork in 1588.

During the 17th century, the name was anglicized to its current spelling, and several Leahys were listed in the 1659 Census of Ireland. This census was conducted by the English government to assess the population and land ownership in Ireland after the Cromwellian conquest.

In the 18th century, the Leahy family played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Patrick Leahy, a prominent leader in the rebellion, was born in 1766 and was later executed for his involvement in the uprising.

Another notable figure from this era was James Leahy (1755-1825), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of the United States Congress.

In the 19th century, several Leahys made their mark in various fields. John Leahy (1795-1868) was an Irish Catholic priest and author, while Michael Leahy (1831-1899) was an Irish-born sculptor who worked in England and received several commissions from Queen Victoria.

One of the most famous Leahys in modern times was William Daniel Leahy (1875-1959), an American naval officer who served as the Chief of Naval Operations during World War II and later as the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leahy

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

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

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

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