Explore the Family Name Kennelly

The meaning of Kennelly

Irish: variant of Kenneally. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Michael Sean.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kennelly in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kennelly significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Kennelly was ranked as the 11,184th most popular surname in the United States, with an estimated 2,601 individuals carrying it. However, by 2010, the surname had risen to the 9,666th rank, a 13.57% increase in rank. The count of people bearing the surname also rose during this period, from 2,601 to 3,358, amounting to a 29.1% increase. As a result, the proportion of Kennellys per 100,000 people in the U.S. population grew by 18.75%, from 0.96 to 1.14.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#11,184	#9,666	13.57%
Count	2,601	3,358	29.1%
Proportion per 100k	0.96	1.14	18.75%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kennelly

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Kennelly also experienced changes between the years 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the overwhelming majority of Kennellys were white (96.42%). By 2010, while still dominant, the percentage had slightly decreased to 95%. During this period, there was an increase in the number of Kennellys identifying as Hispanic, from 1.58% to 2.71%, marking a significant change of 71.52%. Interestingly, in 2010, some Kennellys identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and as belonging to two or more races, at rates of 0.71% and 1.16%, respectively. There were no Kennellys who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	96.42%	95%	-1.47%
Hispanic	1.58%	2.71%	71.52%
Two or More Races	0.85%	1.16%	36.47%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0.71%	0%
Black	0.73%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%