2000
#1,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.08
Uncommon Last name
Kenney
Irish: descendant of Cionaodha, referring to a brave or fearless warrior; or an anglicized form of Ó Cionnaith, meaning "descendant of Cionnaith."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,965 Americans carry the last name Kenney. That puts it at #1,321 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,438 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenney 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 Kenney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,438
Census rank
#1,321
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,131 bearers of the surname Kenney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1321st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenney
The surname Kenney is of Irish origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname Kennedy, which is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Cinnéidigh, meaning "descendant of the ugly-headed one."
The name Kenney is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "O'Kenedy," which later evolved into various forms such as Kenedy, Kennedie, and eventually Kenney.
One notable historical figure with the surname Kenney was Sir Robert Kenney (1599-1672), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1660 to 1672. He played a significant role in the establishment of the English legal system in Ireland during the 17th century.
Another prominent individual was James Kenney (1780-1849), an Irish dramatist and novelist who wrote several successful plays, including "Raising the Wind" and "Sweethearts and Wives." He was also known for his satirical works and his contributions to the literary scene in London during the early 19th century.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kenney can be found in the 17th century with the arrival of John Kenney, an Irish immigrant who settled in Maryland in the 1670s. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country.
One notable American with the surname Kenney was Nicholas Kenney (1781-1837), a businessman and politician from New Jersey who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1823 to 1825.
Another significant figure was Michael Kenney (1854-1921), an Irish-born American labor leader who played a prominent role in the early 20th century labor movement. He was the founder and first president of the United Association of Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Steam Fitters, and Steam Fitters' Helpers, a major trade union in the United States.
The surname Kenney has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Kenneyswell in County Tipperary and Kenneyville in County Sligo, further solidifying its Irish roots and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenney
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenney 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 Kenney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 22,189
- Black or African American7.1% · 1,849
- Two or more races3.7% · 956
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 839
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 234
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenney
Kenney 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
#1,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,759
+570 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 9.41
Rank movement Down 82 places
2020
#1,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,131
-1,628 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 8.74
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,184 | 27,189 | 10.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,266 | 27,759 | 9.41 | +570 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 82 places |
| 2020 | #1,321 | 26,131 | 8.74 | -1,628 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 55 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 Kenney 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 | #1,266 | #1,321 | -4.3% |
| Count | 27,759 | 26,131 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.41 | 8.74 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenney bearers went from 27,759 to 26,131 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,266 to #1,321.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kenney
FAQ
Kenney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenney?
Name Census estimates that about 29,965 living Americans carry the surname Kenney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,438 residents.
How common is Kenney?
Kenney ranks #1,321 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,131 people with the surname Kenney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,965), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Kenney.
Has Kenney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenney went from 27,759 recorded bearers to 26,131. That is a decrease of 1,628 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,266 to #1,321.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Kenney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (22,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Kenney (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 Kenney mean?
Irish: descendant of Cionaodha, referring to a brave or fearless warrior; or an anglicized form of Ó Cionnaith, meaning "descendant of Cionnaith." 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 Kenney (8.74 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 Kenney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.