Explore the Family Name Seney

The meaning of Seney

Altered form of French Senet: 1. from a pet form of the personal name of ancient Germanic origin Senard, which is a variant of Sinard. 2. variant of Sené ‘wise, sensible’ (see Sene). The surname Seney, probably of the same origin, is also found in France (mainly Seine-Maritime). Compare Senay, Senna 4, and Snay 2. History: The progenitor of the majority of the Seneys was Nicolas Senet dit Laliberté from Marne, France, who was in QC by 1689. He died in 1732 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC. His descendants also bear other altered forms of the surname, such as Senay, Senna, and Snay, and also the former secondary surname Laliberte.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Seney ranked at 29,181 in popularity in 2000 and slightly dropped to 29,279 in 2010. This small decrease represents a change of -0.34%. However, the number of individuals with the Seney last name has actually increased over time. In 2000, there were 765 people named Seney, and by 2010, that count had risen to 808—an increase of 5.62. The proportion per 100,000 people was 0.28 in 2000 and slightly decreased to 0.27 in 2010, marking a subtle -3.57% change.

20002010Change
Rank#29,181#29,279-0.34%
Count7658085.62%
Proportion per 100k0.280.27-3.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seney

When considering ethnic identity, the census data shows some notable shifts among those bearing the Seney surname between 2000 and 2010. There was no recorded Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native representation in either year. However, the percentage identifying as two or more races saw an increase of 9.41%, going from 1.70% to 1.86%. The white population decreased by -4.78% from 91.24% to 86.88%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation saw a slight increase of 5.08%, growing from 1.18% to 1.24%. Most notably, the Black community saw a significant increase of 57.74%, rising from 5.49% to 8.66%. The changes in these percentages reflect the evolving diversity within the group of people with the Seney surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data.

20002010Change
White91.24%86.88%-4.78%
Black5.49%8.66%57.74%
Two or More Races1.7%1.86%9.41%
Hispanic1.18%1.24%5.08%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%