2000
#8,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,444
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Linehan
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Laigheanáin, meaning "descendant of Laigheanán," derived from a diminutive of laighean, meaning "spear."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,815 Americans carry the last name Linehan. That puts it at #9,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,844 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Linehan 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 Linehan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,844
Census rank
#9,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,327 bearers of the surname Linehan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Linehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linehan
Among Census respondents with the surname Linehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Linehan 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 Linehan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 3,089
- Two or more races2.9% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Linehan
Linehan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,610
+166 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#9,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,327
-283 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,774 | 3,444 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,050 | 3,610 | 1.22 | +166 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #9,380 | 3,327 | 1.11 | -283 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 330 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 Linehan 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 | #9,050 | #9,380 | -3.6% |
| Count | 3,610 | 3,327 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.11 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Linehan bearers went from 3,610 to 3,327 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 330 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,050 to #9,380.
FAQ
Linehan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Linehan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,815 living Americans carry the surname Linehan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,844 residents.
How common is Linehan?
Linehan ranks #9,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,327 people with the surname Linehan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,815), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Linehan.
Has Linehan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Linehan went from 3,610 recorded bearers to 3,327. That is a decrease of 283 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,050 to #9,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Linehan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Linehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Linehan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Linehan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Linehan (2000, 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 Linehan mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Laigheanáin, meaning "descendant of Laigheanán," derived from a diminutive of laighean, meaning "spear." 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 Linehan (1.11 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 people have the last name Linehan?
Find out how common the surname Linehan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.