UK surname
A surname derived from the Irish name Ó Cearnaigh, meaning "descendent of Cearnaigh".
In the 1881 census there were 167 people recorded with the Kerney surname, ranking it #14,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 33, ranked #35,829, down from #14,443 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Warmfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kerney is 188 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 80.2%.
1881 census count
167
Ranked #14,443
Modern count
33
2016, ranked #35,829
Peak year
1861
188 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Kerney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Kerney surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 185 | #11,077 |
| 1861 | historical | 188 | #12,628 |
| 1881 | historical | 167 | #14,443 |
| 1891 | historical | 173 | #16,600 |
| 1901 | historical | 128 | #19,822 |
| 1911 | historical | 77 | #25,106 |
| 1997 | modern | 43 | #33,361 |
| 1998 | modern | 39 | #33,967 |
| 1999 | modern | 44 | #33,601 |
| 2000 | modern | 41 | #33,889 |
| 2001 | modern | 37 | #34,082 |
| 2002 | modern | 33 | #34,717 |
| 2003 | modern | 34 | #34,681 |
| 2004 | modern | 30 | #35,186 |
| 2005 | modern | 28 | #35,510 |
| 2006 | modern | 30 | #35,526 |
| 2007 | modern | 34 | #35,410 |
| 2008 | modern | 41 | #35,067 |
| 2009 | modern | 46 | #34,918 |
| 2010 | modern | 47 | #35,009 |
| 2011 | modern | 43 | #35,228 |
| 2012 | modern | 34 | #35,711 |
| 2013 | modern | 32 | #35,862 |
| 2014 | modern | 34 | #35,784 |
| 2015 | modern | 34 | #35,756 |
| 2016 | modern | 33 | #35,829 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Warmfield, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St George in the East | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Warmfield | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Kerney surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kerney, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Kerney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Kerney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Kerney is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kerney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Kerney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Kerney is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dalriada in the late 11th century. This Celtic name is derived from the Gaelic word "cairnach," which means "an abounding in cairns or monumental stones." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with such stone structures.
In its earliest forms, the name was spelled as "Cearnaigh" or "Cairnach" before evolving into more modern variations like Kerney, Kearney, Carney, and Carnie. The surname was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Kerney appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The record mentions a landowner named "Cairnacus" in Oxfordshire, likely a Norman with Irish roots.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Kerney surname gained prominence in County Sligo, Ireland, where the family held lands and wielded significant influence. Notable figures from this period include Donnchadh Cairnach Ó Dobhailen (1170-1242), a renowned Irish poet and hereditary Chief Ollam of Leinster.
In the 16th century, Edmond Kerney (1516-1569) was a prominent Irish landowner and military leader who fought against English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. His son, Sir Nicholas Kerney (1548-1599), was knighted for his service to Queen Elizabeth I.
Other historical figures bearing the Kerney name include Francis Kerney (1641-1711), an Irish Jacobite soldier who fought for King James II in the Williamite War, and John Kearney (1784-1846), an Irish-American Catholic priest and founder of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
Throughout history, the surname Kerney has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Kearney's Quarter in County Louth and Kearney's Cross in County Sligo. These locations likely derived their names from prominent Kerney families who resided or held lands in those areas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kerney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 46 Kerneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 46 | 2.37x |
| Middlesex | 29 | 1.77x |
| Yorkshire | 21 | 1.29x |
| Essex | 10 | 3.09x |
| Angus | 7 | 4.61x |
| Lanarkshire | 7 | 1.32x |
| Northumberland | 7 | 2.87x |
| Shropshire | 7 | 4.94x |
| Durham | 6 | 1.23x |
| Kent | 5 | 0.89x |
| Leicestershire | 4 | 2.20x |
| Hampshire | 3 | 0.89x |
| Cumberland | 2 | 1.42x |
| Isle of Man | 2 | 6.57x |
| Renfrewshire | 2 | 1.57x |
| Somerset | 2 | 0.76x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.25x |
| Bedfordshire | 1 | 1.18x |
| Buteshire | 1 | 10.07x |
| Dunbartonshire | 1 | 2.27x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.35x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.24x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.47x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 10 Kerneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.47x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kerney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 16 |
| Margaret | 5 |
| Annie | 4 |
| Catherine | 4 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Jane | 4 |
| Sarah | 4 |
| Alice | 3 |
| Ann | 3 |
| Ellen | 3 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Bridget | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Fanny | 2 |
| Martha | 2 |
| Anna | 1 |
| B.A. | 1 |
| Cathe. | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Georgina | 1 |
| Harrett | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Margrett | 1 |
| Marian | 1 |
| Maud | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Norah | 1 |
| Susanah | 1 |
| Teresa | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kerney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kerney households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 21 |
| Scholer | 4 |
| General Labourer | 3 |
| Alkali Labourer | 2 |
| Butler | 2 |
| Charwoman | 2 |
| Cook | 2 |
| General Servant | 2 |
| Genl Lab | 2 |
| House Keeper | 2 |
| Laborer | 2 |
| Boot Maker | 1 |
| Builders Labor | 1 |
| Chemist | 1 |
| Chemist Employing 2 Men & One Boy | 1 |
| Clerk | 1 |
| Colliery Engineer Tentir | 1 |
| Cook (Domestic) | 1 |
| Cotton Carder | 1 |
| Cotton Rover | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Dock Lab | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Drapers Assist | 1 |
| Dress & Mantle Maker | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Dressmaker (Pauper) | 1 |
| Engine Fitter | 1 |
| Engineer Smith Dener ? Drm... | 1 |
| Errand Boy In Tailors Shop | 1 |
| Farm Labour | 1 |
| Finisher Shoe | 1 |
| Fisherman | 1 |
| Fruiterer | 1 |
| Gen Labourer | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| General Labr | 1 |
| General Serv | 1 |
| Genl Labourer | 1 |
| Genl Serv (Domestic) | 1 |
| Governess Sch | 1 |
| Hawker | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Lab (Bricklayers) | 1 |
| Lab Ag | 1 |
| Laborer In Mill (C) | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer Iron Works | 1 |
| Machine Hand (Undef) | 1 |
| Waiter (Inn Servt) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 167 people were recorded with the Kerney surname. That placed it at #14,443 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 33 in 2016. That gives Kerney a modern rank of #35,829.
A surname derived from the Irish name Ó Cearnaigh, meaning "descendent of Cearnaigh".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kerney bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.