NameCensus.

UK surname

Feeny

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Fiannaidhe meaning "descendant of Fiannaidhe".

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Feeny surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Liverpool and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feeny is 156 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 30.8%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1881

156 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feeny had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Feeny surname distribution map

The map shows where the Feeny surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Feeny surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Feeny over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 139 #13,659
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

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Where Feenys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Liverpool, Bradford and Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 012 Westminster
2 Liverpool 052 Liverpool
3 Liverpool 056 Liverpool
4 Bradford 023 Bradford
5 Kirklees 020 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Feeny

These lists show first names that appear often with the Feeny surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Feeny

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Feeny, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Feeny surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Feeny household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Feeny is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Feeny is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Feeny falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Feeny is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Feeny, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Feeny

The surname Feeny is believed to have originated in Ireland, deriving from the Gaelic name "Ó Fiannaidhe" or "Ó Fiannaí," which translates to "descendant of the warrior band." This suggests that the name may have been borne by members of an ancient Irish warrior clan or militia.

The name first appeared in historical records as early as the 12th century, with various spellings such as Feenay, Feeney, Feeney, and Feenan. These spelling variations were common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a certain "Feenaghty" who was a chief of the Ó Fiannaidhe clan in the 14th century.

The name Feeny is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Feenanagh, which is derived from the Irish "Fíonach," meaning "fertile land." This suggests that some Feeny families may have held lands or territories in these areas.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Feeny. One of the earliest was Cormac Feeny (c. 1520-1590), an Irish chieftain and landowner in County Sligo. Another was Diarmuid Feeny (1680-1744), a renowned Irish harpist and composer.

In the 19th century, John Feeny (1815-1878) was a prominent Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Chicago from 1869 to 1870. Around the same time, Michael Feeny (1829-1901) was an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Killaloe from 1888 until his death.

In more recent history, James Feeny (1909-1976) was an American actor and character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Feeny families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feeny surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 55 Feenys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 55 3.13x
Lanarkshire 18 3.75x
Yorkshire 17 1.16x
Durham 15 3.40x
Surrey 8 1.11x
Warwickshire 8 2.14x
Glamorgan 6 2.32x
Cheshire 5 1.53x
Angus 3 2.18x
Middlesex 3 0.20x
Renfrewshire 3 2.61x
West Lothian 3 13.43x
Northumberland 2 0.91x
Berwickshire 1 5.57x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.51x
Midlothian 1 0.50x
Monmouthshire 1 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.50x
Staffordshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 10 Feenys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.75x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 10 11.75x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 32.20x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 41.88x
West Derby 8 15.54x
Camberwell 7 7.39x
Worsley 7 64.58x
Heworth 6 69.04x
Swansea Town 6 28.36x
Birmingham 5 4.01x
Holbeck 5 51.39x
Pendleton In Salford 5 23.86x
Chester St John Baptist 4 68.03x
Rutherglen 4 56.90x
Aston 3 2.91x
Govan 3 2.53x
Great Bolton 3 12.88x
Leeds 3 3.62x
Liff Benvie 3 14.39x
Linthorpe 3 34.21x
Toxteth Park 3 5.04x
Uphall 3 121.95x
West Greenock 3 14.55x
Bradford 2 5.62x
Heaton Norris 2 19.98x
Hulme 2 5.45x
Humbleton Flinton 2 1000.00x
Liverpool 2 1.87x
Manchester 2 2.53x
Newton 2 14.75x
South Cliff 2 3333.33x
St Giles In Fields London 2 27.51x
Warrington 2 9.59x
Widnes 2 15.76x
Barony 1 0.82x
Blackburn 1 2.14x
Bury 1 4.98x
Cardross 1 20.92x
Cockburnspath 1 175.44x
Edinburgh Old 1 82.64x
Elswick 1 5.68x
Failsworth 1 24.88x
Hatherton 1 454.55x
Islington London 1 0.70x
Kirkdale 1 3.38x
North Shields 1 22.73x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.93x
Radcliffe 1 11.79x
St Woollos 1 8.36x
Stretford 1 10.33x
Tranmere 1 8.31x
Warlingham 1 169.49x
Whitburn 1 97.09x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Feeny surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 16
Ellen 6
Catherine 5
Ann 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Eliza 3
Bridget 2
Elizth. 2
Margret 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Cathrine 1
Chriny 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Marion 1
May 1
Norah 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Feeny surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 10
John 10
Thomas 8
Luke 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Victor 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Leo 1
M.H. 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Michl. 1
Patk. 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1
William 1

FAQ

Feeny surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feeny surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Feeny surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feeny surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Feeny a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Feeny surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Fiannaidhe meaning "descendant of Fiannaidhe".

What does the Feeny map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Feeny bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.