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

Linehan, 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 Linehan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Linehan in America

Linehan is the 9050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Linehan surname appeared 3,610 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 Linehan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Linehan 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 Linehan

The surname Linehan originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "O'Lonáin," meaning "descendant of Lonán." Lonán was a personal name that likely referred to a small, slender person. The prefix "O'" denoted a grandson or descendant.

In its earliest recorded form, the surname appeared as "O'Lonain" in medieval Irish manuscripts and records. Over time, the spelling evolved to Linehan, reflecting the anglicization of Irish names that occurred as English became more prevalent in Ireland.

One of the earliest documented references to the Linehan surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. This text mentions an individual named Toirdhealbhach Ua Lonáin, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent member of the Uí Lonáin family in County Cork.

In the 16th century, the Linehan surname was concentrated in the counties of Cork and Limerick, particularly in the baronies of Fermoy and Condons. Notable individuals from this period include John Linehan, a Catholic priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his writings on Irish history and law.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Linehan name appeared in various records and documents related to land ownership and legal proceedings in counties Cork and Limerick. One notable figure was Patrick Linehan (1641-1721), a Catholic landowner and member of the Irish Parliament who played a role in the Jacobite uprising of 1689-1691.

In the 19th century, the Linehan surname gained wider recognition with the literary works of John Linehan (1819-1888), an Irish poet and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish culture and nationalism. Another prominent individual was Michael Linehan (1846-1923), a Catholic priest and educator who served as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore.

Other notable individuals with the Linehan surname include:

• Margie Linehan (1887-1983), an Irish-American actress and vaudeville performer.
• John Linehan (1910-1997), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
• Martin Linehan (born 1944), an American psychologist and developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
• Colm Linehan (born 1982), an Irish hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team.

While the Linehan surname is predominantly Irish in origin, it has also been found in other regions, likely due to emigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Linehan

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

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

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

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