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

McGuinness, 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 McGuinness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGuinness in America

McGuinness is the 7650th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGuinness surname appeared 4,342 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 McGuinness.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGuinness 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 McGuinness

The surname McGuinness is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "MacConghalaigh," which translates to "son of the descendant of Conghalach." Conghalach is an old Gaelic personal name composed of the elements "con" meaning hound or wolf, and "gal" meaning valor or bravery, thus suggesting a brave or valorous person.

The McGuinness clan hailed from County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province of Ireland. The name first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with references to members of the clan in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals, which mention a Domhnall Mac Conghalaigh, a prominent chieftain from County Donegal who died in 1247. Another notable figure was Tuathal Mac Conghalaigh, a 14th-century bishop of Raphoe, a diocese in County Donegal.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McGuinness clan played a significant role in the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), a conflict between the Irish chieftains and the English forces. Aodh Ruadh Mac Conghalaigh, a McGuinness chieftain, was a prominent leader in the war and fought alongside the famous Irish chieftain, Red Hugh O'Donnell.

The surname McGuinness is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Ballymaconaghy in County Donegal, which means "the town of the McGuinness clan." Other variations of the name's spelling include McGuiness, McGinnis, and Guinness, the latter of which became famous for the Irish brewing family.

Notable individuals with the McGuinness surname include:

1. Martin McGuinness (1950-2017), an Irish republican politician who served as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2017.
2. Paddy McGuinness (born 1973), an English comedian, actor, and television presenter.
3. Frank McGuinness (born 1953), an Irish playwright and poet, known for works such as "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme."
4. Thomas McGuinness (1901-1971), an American businessman and co-founder of the United Fruit Company.
5. John McGuinness (born 1972), an English motorcycle racer and multiple-time winner of the Isle of Man TT races.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGuinness

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

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

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

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