2000
#11,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Mcnerney
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Airchinnigh," meaning "son of the erenagh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,673 Americans carry the last name Mcnerney. That puts it at #12,652 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,228 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnerney 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 Mcnerney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,228
Census rank
#12,652
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,331 bearers of the surname Mcnerney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12652nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnerney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnerney
The surname McNerney is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic Mac an Airchinnigh, meaning "son of the erenagh" or "son of the hereditary landlord." The name traces its roots back to the 12th century in County Sligo, Ireland.
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The manuscript mentions a Gillacrist Mac an Airchinnigh, who was the erenagh (church landlord) of Cluain Cairpri in County Sligo in the year 1171.
As the name evolved over time, it took on various spellings, such as McNerny, McNernie, and McNerny. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland.
One notable figure in the history of the McNerney surname was Dermot McNerney (c. 1510-1585), an Irish nobleman who served as the Lord of Coolavin in County Sligo. He was a prominent figure during the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland and was known for his resistance against English rule.
Another historical figure was John McNerney (1789-1857), an Irish-born journalist and political activist who emigrated to the United States. He founded the first Catholic newspaper in Philadelphia, The Catholic Herald, and was a vocal advocate for Irish immigrants' rights.
In the 19th century, during the Great Famine in Ireland, many McNerneys were among the millions who fled to America and other parts of the world in search of better opportunities. One such individual was Patrick McNerney (1817-1899), who settled in New York City and became a successful businessman and philanthropist.
The name has also been associated with several geographical locations in Ireland, such as McNerney's Bog in County Sligo and McNerney's Lough in County Monaghan, reflecting the historical presence of the family in these areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname McNerney include James McNerney (born 1949), an American business executive who served as the CEO of Boeing from 2005 to 2015, and Kelly McNerney (born 1988), an Australian professional soccer player who played for the Australian national team.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnerney
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnerney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnerney 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 Mcnerney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,144
- Two or more races3.6% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnerney
Mcnerney 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
#12,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,400
-10 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 940 places
2020
#12,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,331
-69 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,893 | 2,410 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,833 | 2,400 | 0.81 | -10 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 940 places |
| 2020 | #12,652 | 2,331 | 0.78 | -69 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 181 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 Mcnerney 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 | #12,833 | #12,652 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,400 | 2,331 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.78 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnerney bearers went from 2,400 to 2,331 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,833 to #12,652.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcnerney
FAQ
Mcnerney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnerney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,673 living Americans carry the surname Mcnerney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,228 residents.
How common is Mcnerney?
Mcnerney ranks #12,652 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,331 people with the surname Mcnerney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcnerney.
Has Mcnerney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnerney went from 2,400 recorded bearers to 2,331. That is a decrease of 69 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,833 to #12,652.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnerney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnerney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mcnerney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnerney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mcnerney (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 Mcnerney mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Airchinnigh," meaning "son of the erenagh." 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 Mcnerney (0.78 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 are called Mcnerney?
You can see how common the surname Mcnerney is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.