2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Queally
Irish surname derived from the Gaelic nickname "Ó Cadhla" meaning "descendant of the comely one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182 Americans carry the last name Queally. That puts it at #116,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,883,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Queally 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
182
1 in 1,883,266
Census rank
#116,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159 bearers of the surname Queally in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Queally, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Queally
The surname Queally is believed to have originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic Ó Cadhla clan. This name is derived from the Irish word "cadhal," which means "gentle" or "gracious." The Ó Cadhla clan was prominent in County Cork and County Limerick during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Queally can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the 12th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Amhlaoibh Ó Cadhla, who was a powerful chieftain in the region of Duhallow, County Cork, in the late 11th century.
As the name spread across Ireland, different spellings emerged, such as O'Cally, O'Cally, and Queally. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and the anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 16th century, the Queally family held lands in County Limerick, particularly in the area around Adare. A notable figure from this era was Donogh Queally, who served as the Bishop of Limerick from 1536 to 1551. He played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the region during the tumultuous period of the English Reformation.
Another prominent individual with the surname Queally was John Queally (1720-1798), a prominent Irish Catholic lawyer and landowner from County Cork. He was a vocal advocate for Catholic rights during the Penal Laws and was instrumental in the formation of the Catholic Committee, a political organization that campaigned for greater rights for Irish Catholics.
In the 19th century, the Queally name gained recognition in the literary and academic circles. One notable figure was Edwin Queally (1808-1888), an Irish-born writer, and educator who emigrated to the United States. He served as the principal of several prominent schools in New York and published several works on education and literature.
Throughout history, the Queally surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Queally's Cross in County Cork and Queally's Bridge in County Limerick. These place names reflect the historical presence and influence of the Queally family in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Queally
Among Census respondents with the surname Queally, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Queally 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 Queally surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 146
- Two or more races3.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Queally
Queally 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
#115,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
+27 bearers (+21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 11,547 places
2020
#116,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+8 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 613 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,639 | 151 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+21.8%) | Up 11,547 places |
| 2020 | #116,252 | 159 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 613 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 Queally 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 | #115,639 | #116,252 | -0.5% |
| Count | 151 | 159 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Queally bearers went from 151 to 159 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 613 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,639 to #116,252.
FAQ
Queally surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Queally?
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the surname Queally. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,883,266 residents.
How common is Queally?
Queally ranks #116,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 159 people with the surname Queally. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Queally.
Has Queally become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Queally went from 151 recorded bearers to 159. That is an increase of 8 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,639 to #116,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Queally?
Among Census respondents with the surname Queally, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Queally in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (146 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Queally appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Queally (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 Queally mean?
Irish surname derived from the Gaelic nickname "Ó Cadhla" meaning "descendant of the comely one." 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 Queally (0.05 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 Queally?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Queally is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.