2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Leneghan
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname O'Lionnáchain meaning "descendant of the mariner".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Leneghan. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leneghan 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 Leneghan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Leneghan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leneghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leneghan
The surname Leneghan is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name O'Lonagain, which means 'descendant of Lonagain'. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Annals of Ulster in 1164, where it was written as 'O'Lonagain'.
The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, Ireland, where the O'Lonagain clan were among the most prominent families in the region. The Leneghan family was also found in Counties Mayo and Galway, with some records indicating they were landowners and chieftains in these areas during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Leneghan name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a certain Ruaidhri O'Lonagain, who was a notable figure in County Sligo in the 13th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Leneghan name appeared in various Irish records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Betham Genealogical Abstracts. These records provide insights into the family's history, including their involvement in land disputes and their connections to other prominent Irish families.
Several notable individuals with the Leneghan surname have been recorded throughout history. One of the earliest was Aodh O'Lonagain (c. 1580-1660), a renowned Irish poet and scholar who wrote extensively in the Irish language. Another was Tadhg Leneghan (1675-1744), a Catholic priest and author who was involved in the Irish Jacobite movement.
Other notable Leneghans include:
1. Eoghan Leneghan (1802-1878), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Sligo.
2. John Leneghan (1854-1924), an Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia.
3. Michael Leneghan (1900-1976), an Irish politician and trade unionist who served as a member of Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament) for several terms.
4. Kathleen Leneghan (1910-1992), an Irish actress and singer who performed on stage and in films throughout the mid-20th century.
5. Patrick Leneghan (1918-2003), an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team and won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1938.
The Leneghan name has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with connections to prominent figures in various fields throughout the centuries. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name continues to be associated with its Irish origins and the descendants of the O'Lonagain clan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leneghan
Among Census respondents with the surname Leneghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Leneghan 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 Leneghan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leneghan
Leneghan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 12,310 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 Leneghan 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 | #160,975 | #148,665 | 7.6% |
| Count | 100 | 111 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leneghan bearers went from 100 to 111 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 12,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #148,665.
FAQ
Leneghan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leneghan?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Leneghan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Leneghan?
Leneghan ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Leneghan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Leneghan.
Has Leneghan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leneghan went from 100 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 11 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Leneghan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leneghan, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Leneghan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leneghan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Hispanic (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Leneghan (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 Leneghan mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname O'Lionnáchain meaning "descendant of the mariner". 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 Leneghan (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Leneghan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.