2000
#18,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Birney
An anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Braonaigh, meaning "descendant of Braonach".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,562 Americans carry the last name Birney. That puts it at #19,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 219,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birney 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 Birney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 219,433
Census rank
#19,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,362 bearers of the surname Birney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Birney
The surname Birney is of Irish origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "bior" meaning "pointed" and "inis" meaning "island," which together translate to "pointed island."
The Birney surname was likely first used by families who resided on or near a pointed island, possibly in the area of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "Birnye" in the Ulster Plantation Papers of 1619.
One of the earliest known references to the Birney name is found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which were tax records for County Fermanagh. Several Birney families were listed in these records, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the Birney surname was James Birney (1792-1857), an American abolitionist and politician. He was born in Kentucky and later became a prominent leader in the anti-slavery movement, establishing the Liberty Party and running for President in 1840 and 1844 on an abolitionist platform.
Another historically significant individual with the Birney surname was David Birney (1939-2022), an American actor best known for his roles in the television series "St. Elsewhere" and "Bridget Loves Bernie." He was born in Los Angeles and had a successful career in both television and film.
In the 19th century, William Birney (1819-1907) was a Canadian-born American politician and lawyer who served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He later became a prominent figure in the Republican Party and held several political positions, including Lieutenant Governor of Michigan.
In the early 20th century, Hoffman Birney (1891-1968) was an American educator and social activist. He was born in Philadelphia and dedicated his life to promoting racial equality and civil rights. He served as the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1936 to 1951.
Another notable figure with the Birney surname was Alfred Birney (1865-1944), an American philanthropist and businessman. He was born in New York City and became a successful industrialist, later using his wealth to support various educational and charitable organizations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birney
Among Census respondents with the surname Birney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Birney 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 Birney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,262
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 40
- Two or more races2.6% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 10
- Black or African American0.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birney
Birney 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
#18,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,463
+91 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Down 200 places
2020
#19,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,362
-101 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 1,050 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,551 | 1,372 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,751 | 1,463 | 0.50 | +91 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 200 places |
| 2020 | #19,801 | 1,362 | 0.46 | -101 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 1,050 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 Birney 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 | #18,751 | #19,801 | -5.6% |
| Count | 1,463 | 1,362 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.46 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birney bearers went from 1,463 to 1,362 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 1,050 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,751 to #19,801.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Birney
FAQ
Birney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birney?
Name Census estimates that about 1,562 living Americans carry the surname Birney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 219,433 residents.
How common is Birney?
Birney ranks #19,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 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 1,362 people with the surname Birney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,562), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 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 Birney.
Has Birney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birney went from 1,463 recorded bearers to 1,362. That is a decrease of 101 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,751 to #19,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Birney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Birney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Birney (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 Birney mean?
An anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Braonaigh, meaning "descendant of Braonach". 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 Birney (0.46 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 Birney?
Find out how common the surname Birney is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.