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

Meaney, 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 Meaney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meaney in America

Meaney is the 15066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meaney surname appeared 1,958 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 Meaney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meaney 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 Meaney

The surname Meaney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "Ó Máin" or "Ó Maidhne", which means "descendant of Máin". The name Máin is believed to be a pet form of the Irish personal name Mathghamhain, meaning "bear".

The name Meaney is thought to have originated in County Offaly, Ireland, where it is still most prevalent. The first recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Gillys O'Mayn in the Annals of Lough Cé in 1233.

In the Fiants of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the name is recorded as "O'Meyny" in 1585. The Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, also mentions the name "O'Mayne" in the 16th century.

The Meaney surname is also found in early records from County Laois, where it is spelled "O'Meana" or "O'Meaney". A notable early bearer of the name was Donnchadh Ó Meanaidh, who was the Bishop of Clonmacnoise from 1480 to 1512.

During the Plantation of Offaly in the 16th and 17th centuries, many Meaney families were displaced from their ancestral lands, leading to the spread of the name throughout Ireland and beyond.

Some notable individuals with the surname Meaney throughout history include:

1. Jeremiah F. Meaney (1853-1924), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.

2. John Meaney (born 1957), a British science fiction and fantasy author known for works such as "Paradox" and "Bone Song".

3. John Meaney (1916-1982), an American actor who appeared in films like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

4. Mary Meaney (1932-2008), an Irish stage and film actress who appeared in productions like "The Field" and "The Playboy of the Western World".

5. Thomas Meaney (1860-1935), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Jose, California, from 1899 to 1901.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meaney

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

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

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

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