Find out how popular the last name Tangney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tangney.

Tangney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tangney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tangney in America

Tangney is the 32834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tangney surname appeared 699 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tangney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tangney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tangney

The surname Tangney is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Cork and Kerry, where it was most prevalent. It is thought to be derived from the Old Irish word "tannaidhe," which means "tanner" or "worker with leather." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation.

In the 16th century, records show the name being spelled as "Tanaghty," "Taneghy," and "Tanedy," among other variations. These early spellings reflect the phonetic nature of the name's origins and the lack of standardized spelling during that time.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The entry from the year 1510 mentions a "Dermod Tanaghty," suggesting that the name was already in use by that period.

The first recorded instance of the modern spelling "Tangney" dates back to the 17th century, when a person by that name appears in the records of the Catholic parish of Killarney, County Kerry.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Tangney. One of the earliest was Sir Richard Tangney (1641-1703), an Irish military officer who fought for the Jacobite cause during the Williamite War in Ireland.

Another prominent figure was Michael Tangney (1786-1869), a Roman Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in County Cork, including the celebrated Midleton College.

In the 19th century, John Tangney (1825-1901) was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City, where he established the Tangney Orphan Asylum for Catholic children.

More recently, Mary Tangney (1925-2011) was a renowned Australian author and academic, best known for her novels depicting life in rural Western Australia.

One of the most prominent Tangneys of modern times is Mark Tangney (born 1964), an American journalist and news anchor who has worked for various major television networks.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Tangney throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and contributions across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tangney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tangney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tangney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tangney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tangney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tangney, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!