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

Leheny, 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 Leheny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leheny in America

Leheny is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leheny surname appeared 130 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leheny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leheny 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 Leheny

The surname Leheny has its origins in Ireland, with records indicating it was first found in County Cork in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "leath" meaning "half" and "caoin" meaning "gentle" or "mild." The name likely referred to someone with a gentle or mild temperament.

Early records show variations in spelling such as Loheny, Loheney, and Lehany. The name is also thought to be related to the place name Lahaun, a townland in County Clare. A John Leheny was listed as a landholder in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1578, suggesting the name's presence in the region during that time.

One notable bearer of the name was Patrick Leheny, an Irish soldier who fought in the Battle of Aughrim in 1691 during the Williamite War. He was later granted lands in County Cork for his service. Another early record is that of Michael Leheny, born in 1735 in County Cork, who emigrated to America in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name appeared in various records, including the birth of James Leheny in 1845 in County Kerry. He later immigrated to Australia in the 1870s. Another individual of note was Mary Leheny, born in 1863 in County Cork, who became a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in Ireland.

Other notable individuals with the surname include John Leheny, an Irish poet and author born in 1879, and Michael Leheny, born in 1901, who was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City. William Leheny, born in 1912 in County Clare, served as a lieutenant in the Irish Army during World War II.

While the name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic language and the counties of Cork and Clare, where it first emerged as a distinct surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leheny

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

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

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

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