2000
#6,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,225
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.94
Rare Last name
Markey
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Marcaigh, meaning "descendant of Marcach," a personal name derived from marc, meaning "horse."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,573 Americans carry the last name Markey. That puts it at #6,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,503 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markey 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 Markey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,503
Census rank
#6,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,860 bearers of the surname Markey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markey
The surname Markey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Muireadhach," which means "lord" or "sovereign." The name is believed to have originated in the 9th or 10th century, and was initially associated with the ancient kingdom of Bréifne, located in what is now County Cavan and County Leitrim in Ireland.
The Markey surname has a long and rich history, with references dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a "Muireadhach Ua Maelsechlainn" is mentioned in the year 1146.
During the Middle Ages, the Markeys were a prominent family in the Irish midlands, and their name was often found in legal documents and land records. In the Annals of the Four Masters, a compilation of ancient Irish manuscripts, there are several references to notable individuals bearing the Markey surname, including Muireadhach Markey, a chieftain who died in 1168.
As the surname spread throughout Ireland, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Marky, Morky, and Murcky. Some of these variations were influenced by the anglicization of Irish names during the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Markey surname in its modern spelling can be found in the 1659 Census of Ireland, where a "John Markey" is listed as a resident of County Cavan.
Notable individuals with the surname Markey throughout history include:
1. Patrick Markey (1804-1884), an Irish-American politician who served as the 11th Governor of Florida.
2. Anne Markey (1891-1936), an Irish author and playwright known for her works depicting rural life in Ireland.
3. John Markey (1932-2020), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts.
4. Roger Markey (born 1958), a British actor and director best known for his roles in television series such as "Downton Abbey" and "Game of Thrones."
5. Kathleen Markey (born 1972), an American artist and photographer whose work has been exhibited in galleries across the United States and Europe.
While the Markey surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Bréifne and the Gaelic personal name "Muireadhach," reflecting its deep connection to Irish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markey
Among Census respondents with the surname Markey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Markey 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 Markey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 4,345
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 180
- Two or more races3.0% · 148
- Black or African American2.8% · 138
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markey
Markey 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
#6,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,435
+210 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 231 places
2020
#6,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,860
-575 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,055 | 5,225 | 1.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,286 | 5,435 | 1.84 | +210 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 231 places |
| 2020 | #6,682 | 4,860 | 1.63 | -575 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 396 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 Markey 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 | #6,286 | #6,682 | -6.3% |
| Count | 5,435 | 4,860 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.63 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markey bearers went from 5,435 to 4,860 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 396 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,286 to #6,682.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Markey
FAQ
Markey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markey?
Name Census estimates that about 5,573 living Americans carry the surname Markey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,503 residents.
How common is Markey?
Markey ranks #6,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,860 people with the surname Markey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Markey.
Has Markey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markey went from 5,435 recorded bearers to 4,860. That is a decrease of 575 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,286 to #6,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Markey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Markey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (4,345 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Markey (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 Markey mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Marcaigh, meaning "descendant of Marcach," a personal name derived from marc, meaning "horse." 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 Markey (1.63 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 Markey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Markey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.