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

McSweeney, 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 McSweeney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McSweeney in America

McSweeney is the 8639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McSweeney surname appeared 3,807 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 McSweeney.

We can also compare 2010 data for McSweeney 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 McSweeney

The surname McSweeney originated in Ireland, specifically in the southwestern region of County Cork. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Mac Suibhne, which means "son of Suibhne." Suibhne is an ancient personal name that has been anglicized as Sweeney.

The McSweeney name can be traced back to the 11th century when the family was part of the Dál gCais clan, which ruled the region of Thomond (now County Clare and parts of County Limerick). The McSweeneys were a prominent sept (branch) of the Dál gCais and held significant power and influence in the area.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Niall McSweeney was recorded as the Chief of the McSweeneys in County Cork. He was involved in various conflicts and battles during the Norman invasion of Ireland.

The name McSweeney is also mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, an important chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals record several McSweeney clan chiefs and their activities during that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Papal Taxation Rolls of 1302-1307, which list a "John McSweeney" as a tenant in County Cork.

In the 16th century, a famous McSweeney was Donogh McSweeney, who became the Bishop of Raphoe in County Donegal. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Catholic Church during the tumultuous years of the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable McSweeney was John McSweeney (1754-1826), an Irish-born political activist and military leader who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later became a prominent figure in the Irish Patriot movement, advocating for Irish independence.

In the 19th century, John McSweeney (1834-1906) was an Irish-American journalist and politician who served as the 49th Mayor of New York City from 1894 to 1897.

The McSweeney name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballymacswiney (meaning "McSweeney's town") in County Cork and Kilmeedy (derived from Cill Mhic Suibhne, meaning "McSweeney's church") in County Limerick.

Over time, the name has been anglicized and has variations such as Sweeney, Sweeny, and Swiney, but McSweeney remains the most common spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McSweeney

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

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

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

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