2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Taheny
A surname potentially derived from an Irish place name referring to a town or townland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Taheny. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Taheny 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Taheny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Taheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Taheny
The surname TAHENY is believed to have originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "tathain," which means "a burner" or "one who burns." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who worked in professions involving fire, such as blacksmiths or kilnmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, a collection of documents relating to the Irish administration during the late 16th century. Here, a certain "Donyll M'Taheny" is mentioned as being pardoned for his involvement in a rebellion.
The TAHENY name is predominantly associated with County Sligo in the northwestern region of Ireland. It is believed that the name originated in this area, with various branches of the family spreading to other parts of the country over time.
In the 17th century, the surname TAHENY appeared in the Census of Ireland, also known as the Cromwellian Census. This census was conducted in 1659 under the order of Oliver Cromwell, and it provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across Ireland during that period.
One notable figure bearing the TAHENY surname was Patrick Taheny, a prominent Catholic clergyman who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He served as the Bishop of Killala from 1798 until his death in 1814.
Another individual of historical significance was John Taheny, a Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. He was born in County Sligo in 1841 and later immigrated to the United States, where he enlisted in the Union Army. Taheny participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
In the 19th century, the TAHENY name also appeared in various Irish land records and estate papers, providing insights into the family's landholdings and properties during that era.
Throughout history, the TAHENY surname has maintained a strong presence in Ireland, particularly in the western regions. While the name has also been found in other parts of the world due to emigration, its origins and earliest records can be traced back to the Emerald Isle.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Taheny
Among Census respondents with the surname Taheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Taheny 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 Taheny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Taheny
Taheny appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+16 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,921 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 14,921 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 Taheny 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 | #158,432 | #143,511 | 9.4% |
| Count | 102 | 118 | 15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Taheny bearers went from 102 to 118 (+15.7% change). The surname moved up 14,921 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #143,511.
FAQ
Taheny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Taheny?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Taheny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Taheny?
Taheny ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Taheny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Taheny.
Has Taheny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Taheny went from 102 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 16 (+15.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Taheny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Taheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Taheny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Taheny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Taheny (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 Taheny mean?
A surname potentially derived from an Irish place name referring to a town or townland. 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 Taheny (0.04 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 Taheny?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Taheny, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.