2000
#6,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,585
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Sheehy
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Síothcháin, meaning "descendant of Síothchán," a personal name derived from síothchán, meaning "peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,322 Americans carry the last name Sheehy. That puts it at #6,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,403 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheehy 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 Sheehy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,403
Census rank
#6,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,641 bearers of the surname Sheehy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheehy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheehy
The surname Sheehy originates from Ireland, specifically in the province of Munster. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Síodhaí," which translates to "fairy" or "fairy-like." The name is thought to have emerged sometime during the 10th or 11th century.
The surname was initially associated with the ancient territory of Fermoy, located in modern-day County Cork. It is believed that the Sheehy family held lands in this area and may have been prominent figures in the local community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sheehy can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a historical chronicle compiled by monks in the 12th century. The annals mention a "Sheehy" who was involved in a conflict with the O'Briens, another prominent Irish family, in the year 1178.
During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the Sheehy family is said to have lost some of their lands and influence. However, they remained a respected clan in the region, and their name continued to be recorded in various historical documents.
In the 16th century, a notable member of the Sheehy family was Edmund Sheehy, who was born around 1520. He was a prominent Catholic landowner and is believed to have been involved in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland.
Another significant figure was Reverend Nicholas Sheehy, who lived from 1728 to 1766. He was a Catholic priest and a prominent figure in the uprising known as the Whiteboy Movement, which fought against the oppressive laws and conditions imposed on Catholics in Ireland at the time. Sheehy was ultimately convicted and executed, becoming a martyr for the cause.
In the 19th century, John Sheehy (1818-1882) was a notable Irish mathematician and astronomer. He worked as a professor at the Catholic University of Ireland and made contributions to the fields of optics and celestial mechanics.
Additionally, Michael Sheehy (1670-1766) was an Irish-born Roman Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore. He played a significant role in defending the rights of Catholics during the Penal Laws era in Ireland.
Throughout history, the surname Sheehy has been associated with various spellings, such as Shee, Shey, and Shea, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheehy
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheehy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheehy 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 Sheehy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 4,215
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 149
- Two or more races2.9% · 134
- Black or African American1.8% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheehy
Sheehy 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
#7,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,782
+197 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 228 places
2020
#6,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,641
-141 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,777 | 4,585 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,005 | 4,782 | 1.62 | +197 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 228 places |
| 2020 | #6,977 | 4,641 | 1.55 | -141 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 28 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 Sheehy 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 | #7,005 | #6,977 | 0.4% |
| Count | 4,782 | 4,641 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.55 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheehy bearers went from 4,782 to 4,641 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,005 to #6,977.
FAQ
Sheehy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheehy?
Name Census estimates that about 5,322 living Americans carry the surname Sheehy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,403 residents.
How common is Sheehy?
Sheehy ranks #6,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,641 people with the surname Sheehy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sheehy.
Has Sheehy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheehy went from 4,782 recorded bearers to 4,641. That is a decrease of 141 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,005 to #6,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheehy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheehy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sheehy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (4,215 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheehy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sheehy (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 Sheehy mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Síothcháin, meaning "descendant of Síothchán," a personal name derived from síothchán, meaning "peace." 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 Sheehy (1.55 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 have the surname Sheehy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.