2000
#984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.97
Uncommon Last name
Carney
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Catharnaigh," meaning "descendant of Catharnach" (a warrior or victor).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,204 Americans carry the last name Carney. That puts it at #1,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carney 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 Carney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
36K
1 in 9,467
Census rank
#1,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,572 bearers of the surname Carney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carney
The surname Carney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "Ciarnaigh," which translates to "descendant of Ciarnan." Ciarnan was a personal name rooted in the word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark-featured." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the Carney surname can be traced back to the 12th century in County Tipperary, Ireland. The name was particularly prominent in the region around the town of Carney, which may have influenced the spelling variation.
In the 16th century, the Carney family was well-established in County Tipperary, with several members holding prominent positions in the local community. One notable figure was John Carney, born around 1550, who served as the mayor of Clonmel, a town in County Tipperary.
The surname Carney also appears in historical records from other parts of Ireland, including County Cork and County Kilkenny. One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.
In the late 18th century, the Carney family played a role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Patrick Carney, born in 1770, was a prominent rebel leader who fought against British rule in County Wexford.
As the Irish diaspora spread throughout the world, the Carney surname became more widespread. In the 19th century, several Carneys made their mark in various fields:
1. Thomas Carney (1824-1888), an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Kansas.
2. John Carney (1828-1904), an Irish-born Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales.
3. William Carney (1840-1908), an African American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.
4. James Carney (1857-1925), an American baseball player and manager in the late 19th century.
5. Julia Carney (1869-1951), an American philanthropist and social worker who advocated for women's rights and social welfare.
The Carney surname has its roots in the rich history and culture of Ireland, with a strong presence in various regions of the country. As the name spread across the globe, it became associated with individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carney
Among Census respondents with the surname Carney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carney 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 Carney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 26,056
- Black or African American8.5% · 2,697
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,184
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,074
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 315
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 246
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carney
Carney 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
#1,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,897
+615 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 11.15
Rank movement Down 82 places
2020
#1,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,572
-1,325 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 10.56
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #984 | 32,282 | 11.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,066 | 32,897 | 11.15 | +615 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 82 places |
| 2020 | #1,089 | 31,572 | 10.56 | -1,325 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 23 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 Carney 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 | #1,066 | #1,089 | -2.2% |
| Count | 32,897 | 31,572 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 11.15 | 10.56 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carney bearers went from 32,897 to 31,572 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,066 to #1,089.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Carney
FAQ
Carney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carney?
Name Census estimates that about 36,204 living Americans carry the surname Carney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,467 residents.
How common is Carney?
Carney ranks #1,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,572 people with the surname Carney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,204), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Carney.
Has Carney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carney went from 32,897 recorded bearers to 31,572. That is a decrease of 1,325 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,066 to #1,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Carney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carney, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Carney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (26,056 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (8.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Carney (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 Carney mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Catharnaigh," meaning "descendant of Catharnach" (a warrior or victor). 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 Carney (10.56 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 Carney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.