2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Quaney
Possible English occupational surname meaning "keeper of quince trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Quaney. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quaney 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Quaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quaney
The surname Quaney has its origins in the Gaelic language of Ireland. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century, derived from the Irish word 'cuanach' meaning 'sea-inlet' or 'harbour'. The name is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a cove or small harbor along the Irish coastline.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Risteard Quaney, a landowner in County Kerry, Ireland, who is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century. The Annals document Risteard's involvement in local disputes over land ownership in the year 1378.
The surname Quaney can also be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as 'Quiney' and 'Quynie', suggesting that some bearers of the name may have migrated from Ireland to England during the Norman conquest.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Quaney was Thomas Quaney, a merchant and ship owner from the coastal town of Kinsale, County Cork. Records indicate that Quaney played a significant role in the town's thriving maritime trade during the latter part of the century.
Another historical figure of note was Eibhlín Quaney, a celebrated Irish poet and songwriter who lived in County Clare in the 18th century. Her compositions, often written in the Irish language, were widely renowned and helped preserve the rich tradition of Irish folk music and literature.
In the 19th century, John Quaney, a surveyor and civil engineer from County Mayo, made significant contributions to the construction of Ireland's expanding railway network. His work on various rail projects across the country earned him a reputation as a skilled and innovative engineer.
As the name Quaney spread across Ireland and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, including Quiney, Quainey, and Queeney. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions, reflecting the diversity of the name's origins and its adaptation to local dialects and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Quaney 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 Quaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quaney
Quaney 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,785 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-21 bearers (-17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,777 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,785 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.5%) | Down 16,777 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 Quaney 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 | #139,228 | #156,005 | -12.1% |
| Count | 120 | 99 | -17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quaney bearers went from 120 to 99 (-17.5% change). The surname moved down 16,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #156,005.
FAQ
Quaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quaney?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Quaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Quaney?
Quaney ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99 people with the surname Quaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Quaney.
Has Quaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quaney went from 120 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Quaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Quaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Quaney (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 Quaney mean?
Possible English occupational surname meaning "keeper of quince trees." 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 Quaney (0.03 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 Quaney?
You can see how common the surname Quaney is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.