2000
#31,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Queenan
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cuinneáin meaning descendant of Cuinneán, a diminutive of the name Conn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 822 Americans carry the last name Queenan. That puts it at #34,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 416,976 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Queenan 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Queenan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
822
1 in 416,976
Census rank
#34,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
717
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 717 bearers of the surname Queenan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Queenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Queenan
The surname Queenan has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to be a variant of the Gaelic name O'Cuinneagain or O'Cuinneagain, which means "descendant of Cuinneagain." Cuinneagain itself is thought to be derived from the Irish word "cuinne," meaning a corner or an angle, possibly referring to a physical feature or location.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Queenan can be found in various Irish records and documents from the 1600s. One notable example is the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a individual named O'Cuinneagain in the year 1621.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Queenan was predominantly found in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the western part of Ireland. It is likely that the name originated in these regions before spreading to other parts of the country.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Queenan was Patrick Queenan, who was born in County Mayo in the mid-17th century. He was a prominent figure in the local community and is mentioned in several historical records from that time period.
Another notable figure was Michael Queenan, born in County Sligo in the late 18th century. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his name appears in various land records and deeds from the early 19th century.
In the 19th century, the name Queenan gained more prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. One such person was John Queenan (1837-1901), a prominent Irish politician and member of the British House of Commons, representing constituencies in County Mayo.
Another noteworthy individual was Mary Queenan (1860-1932), an Irish writer and poet who published several collections of works during her lifetime. Her poetry often explored themes of Irish culture and identity.
Towards the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Queenan surname began to spread beyond Ireland, as many individuals emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Canada. One notable example is James Queenan (1866-1945), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Chicago.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Queenan who have left their mark on history. While the name may have originated in a specific region of Ireland, it has since spread and become more widespread, with descendants carrying on the legacy of this distinctive Irish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Queenan
Among Census respondents with the surname Queenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Queenan 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 Queenan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 575
- Black or African American11.6% · 83
- Two or more races4.6% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Queenan
Queenan 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
#31,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 732
+29 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 385 places
2020
#34,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 717
-15 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,202 | 703 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,587 | 732 | 0.25 | +29 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 385 places |
| 2020 | #34,101 | 717 | 0.24 | -15 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 2,514 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 Queenan 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 | #31,587 | #34,101 | -8.0% |
| Count | 732 | 717 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.24 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Queenan bearers went from 732 to 717 (-2.0% change). The surname moved down 2,514 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,587 to #34,101.
FAQ
Queenan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Queenan?
Name Census estimates that about 822 living Americans carry the surname Queenan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 416,976 residents.
How common is Queenan?
Queenan ranks #34,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 717 people with the surname Queenan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (822), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Queenan.
Has Queenan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Queenan went from 732 recorded bearers to 717. That is a decrease of 15 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,587 to #34,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Queenan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Queenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Queenan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Queenan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Black (11.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Queenan (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 Queenan mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cuinneáin meaning descendant of Cuinneán, a diminutive of the name Conn. 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 Queenan (0.24 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 many people are called Queenan?
Want to know how many people are called Queenan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.