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

Vahey, 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 Vahey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vahey in America

Vahey is the 39004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vahey surname appeared 565 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 Vahey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vahey 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 Vahey

The surname Vahey is of Irish origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in County Mayo, a region on the western coast of Ireland.

Vahey is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Bhathaigh," which means "descendant of Bathach." Bathach was a personal name derived from the Irish word "bath," meaning "poor" or "humble." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone of humble origins or circumstances.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a certain "Tadhg O'Vahey" in 1347, who was a prominent figure in County Mayo at the time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Vahey surname was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Erris and Gallen in County Mayo. Some notable individuals from this period include John Vahey (c. 1560-1630), a landowner and chieftain in Erris, and Teige Vahey (c. 1590-1660), a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

In the early 19th century, a branch of the Vahey family migrated to County Sligo, where they established themselves in the parish of Dromard. One notable member of this branch was Patrick Vahey (1785-1867), a Catholic priest and scholar who was deeply involved in preserving the Irish language and culture.

Another significant figure in the history of the Vahey surname is John Vahey (1875-1946), an Irish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Riverside Church and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

Other notable individuals with the surname Vahey include:

1. William Vahey (1900-1982), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 1954 to 1962.
2. Cyril Vahey (1908-1991), an English actor and playwright known for his work in the theater and on television.
3. John Vahey (born 1947), an Irish author and broadcaster who has written extensively on Irish history and culture.
4. Amanda Vahey (born 1974), an Australian actress and television presenter.
5. Michael Vahey (born 1980), an Irish hurler who played for the Tipperary senior hurling team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vahey

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

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 Vahey 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 Vahey 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 Vahey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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