2000
#10,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,762
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Mahaney
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Mathghamhna," meaning "descendant of the bear."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,902 Americans carry the last name Mahaney. That puts it at #11,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,110 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahaney 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,110
Census rank
#11,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,531 bearers of the surname Mahaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahaney
The surname Mahaney is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 17th century. It is thought to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Maoldhomhnaigh," which translates to "descendant of the servant of the Lord."
One of the earliest known records of the Mahaney name can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which was a tax imposed on households in Ireland. This document mentions several families bearing the name, primarily located in the counties of Tipperary and Kilkenny.
The name Mahaney is believed to have several spelling variations, including Mahoney, Mahony, and Mahoney. These variations likely arose due to the difficulties encountered by English officials in transcribing the Irish Gaelic name into English.
In the late 17th century, many Irish families, including those with the Mahaney surname, migrated to other parts of Europe and America, seeking better opportunities and escaping religious persecution. This diaspora contributed to the spread of the name across various regions.
One notable figure bearing the Mahaney surname was Sir John Mahaney (1723-1792), an Irish-born merchant and landowner who settled in the American colonies. He played a significant role in the development of trade and commerce in the Philadelphia area during the 18th century.
Another prominent Mahaney was Mary Mahaney (1846-1924), an Irish-American educator and activist. She was deeply involved in the labor movement and fought for the rights of working-class women and children in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the realm of sports, Michael Mahaney (1894-1976), an American baseball player, made his mark as a pitcher in the Major League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s. He played for several teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the New York Giants.
The literary world also saw a notable contribution from the Mahaney surname with the works of author and poet James Mahaney (1920-2005). He was known for his explorations of themes related to Irish-American identity and the immigrant experience.
In more recent times, Patrick Mahaney (1957-present) has gained recognition as a successful entrepreneur and business leader, having co-founded and served as the CEO of several technology companies in the United States.
While these are just a few examples, the Mahaney surname has a rich history dating back centuries, with its origins deeply rooted in Irish culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahaney 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 Mahaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 2,258
- Two or more races4.9% · 123
- Black or African American3.0% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahaney
Mahaney 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
#10,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,949
+187 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#11,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,531
-418 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,638 | 2,762 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,806 | 2,949 | 1.00 | +187 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #11,826 | 2,531 | 0.85 | -418 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 1,020 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 Mahaney 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 | #10,806 | #11,826 | -9.4% |
| Count | 2,949 | 2,531 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.85 | -15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahaney bearers went from 2,949 to 2,531 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,806 to #11,826.
FAQ
Mahaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahaney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,902 living Americans carry the surname Mahaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,110 residents.
How common is Mahaney?
Mahaney ranks #11,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,531 people with the surname Mahaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Mahaney.
Has Mahaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahaney went from 2,949 recorded bearers to 2,531. That is a decrease of 418 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,806 to #11,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Mahaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (2,258 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Black (3.0%). 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 Mahaney (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 Mahaney mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Mathghamhna," meaning "descendant of the bear." 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 Mahaney (0.85 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 common is the surname Mahaney?
Want to know how many people are called Mahaney? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.