{"id":717,"date":"2023-08-10T22:15:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T22:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/"},"modified":"2023-08-10T22:26:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T22:26:02","slug":"kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Kavanagh As An Irish Last Name"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This article looks at how common Kavanagh is as a last name in Ireland and the United States from the 19th century to the present day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll learn the meaning and origins of the Kavanagh surname while exploring some notable and famous people that held it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I use census records, emigration lists, and military archives to uncover fascinating patterns. If you\u2019re studying your genealogy, check out my sources at the end of the post so you can do your own research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#How_Common_Is_Kavanagh_As_A_Surname_In_Ireland\" title=\"How Common Is Kavanagh As A Surname In Ireland?\">How Common Is Kavanagh As A Surname In Ireland?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Kavanagh_In_The_Early_1900s\" title=\"Kavanagh In The Early 1900s\">Kavanagh In The Early 1900s<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Population_Estimates_In_The_1890s\" title=\"Population Estimates In The 1890s\">Population Estimates In The 1890s<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Emigration_To_America_After_The_Irish_Famine\" title=\"Emigration To America After The Irish Famine\">Emigration To America After The Irish Famine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#How_Common_Is_Kavanagh_As_A_Last_Name_In_The_US\" title=\"How Common Is Kavanagh As A Last Name In The U.S.?\">How Common Is Kavanagh As A Last Name In The U.S.?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Estimating_Rank_In_The_United_States\" title=\"Estimating Rank In The United States\">Estimating Rank In The United States<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Kavanagh_In_Historic_Times\" title=\"Kavanagh In Historic Times\">Kavanagh In Historic Times<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Kavanagh_In_World_War_II\" title=\"Kavanagh In World War II\">Kavanagh In World War II<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Kavanagh_Surname_Meaning_And_Origin\" title=\"Kavanagh Surname: Meaning And Origin\">Kavanagh Surname: Meaning And Origin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Famous_Or_Historic_People_Named_Kavanagh\" title=\"Famous Or Historic People Named Kavanagh\">Famous Or Historic People Named Kavanagh<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Sources\" title=\"Sources\">Sources<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#External_Research\" title=\"External Research\">External Research<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#Internal_Research\" title=\"Internal Research\">Internal Research<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/#More_Irish_Names_Starting_With_K\" title=\"More Irish Names Starting With K\">More Irish Names Starting With K<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Common_Is_Kavanagh_As_A_Surname_In_Ireland\"><\/span>How Common Is Kavanagh As A Surname In Ireland?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ireland does not disclose current statistics on surnames in much detail. The most that we get is the top ten last names in birth registrations for the previous year. Kavanagh<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I had to look elsewhere for population estimates. Thankfully, an Irish genealogist researched the prevalence of Irish surnames through national phone directories published in the 1990s. Se\u00e1n Murphy\u2019s estimates aren\u2019t as robust as a census but give a good broad estimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kavanagh was ranked 50 in the top one hundred names in this decade with a total of 14,100 entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This graphic shows how it ranks compared to the 1st, 33rd, 66th, and 100th entries in the survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kavanagh_telephone_survey.png\" alt=\"Kavanagh Ireland 1990s\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kavanagh_In_The_Early_1900s\"><\/span>Kavanagh In The Early 1900s<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Only the full censuses from 1911 and 1901 in Ireland are available to the public. Earlier decades were either destroyed by the government (to make room for more storage) or by a huge fire during the Irish Civil War. Later decades are unavailable under privacy laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, let&#8217;s concentrate on the early decades of the twentieth century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I used online archives to calculate the total numbers by surname. I consider these estimates due to some percentage of transcription errors. So, I\u2019ve rounded the numbers to the nearest fifty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There were 8,700 residents named Kavanagh on the island in 1911. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Ten years earlier, Kavanagh had about 8,400 residents in the 1901 census. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Population_Estimates_In_The_1890s\"><\/span>Population Estimates In The 1890s<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A study of Irish surnames was conducted in 1890 by the head of the Civil Registrations Office. It was published as a \u201cSpecial Report on Surnames In Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The survey estimated that there were about 12,200 people named Kavanagh in the country. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emigration_To_America_After_The_Irish_Famine\"><\/span>Emigration To America After The Irish Famine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Irish diaspora is large and widespread with a significant number of people emigrating to other parts of the globe. The destinations traditionally have been England, the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Emigrants were driven by various factors like political unrest, poverty, and food scarcity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The largest wave of emigration to the United States occurred during the 19th century. The peak was in response to the Great Irish Famine, which took place between 1845 and 1852. A plant disease devastated the main food and income crop for much of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I reviewed the Kavanagh name in the shipping passenger lists arriving in New York during this period. The departures were from both Ireland and England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This picture shows how the numbers rose and fell in the years after the famine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kavanagh_new_york_passenger_lists.png\" alt=\"Kavanagh emigration after the famine\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Common_Is_Kavanagh_As_A_Last_Name_In_The_US\"><\/span>How Common Is Kavanagh As A Last Name In The U.S.?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Based on the 2010 U.S. census, the name Kavanagh ranks about 8,728 among Irish names in America with 5,301 bearers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the 2010 census has exact numbers and rankings, the rank I assign here is my estimate. If you\u2019re curious about how I got there, here\u2019s a brief explanation\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Estimating_Rank_In_The_United_States\"><\/span>Estimating Rank In The United States<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, some Irish families with Gaelic surnames took English-sounding names as translations under the influence of colonization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As these names also have English origins, they will have been brought to the United States by both British and Irish immigrants. Because the census doesn\u2019t ask about specific European origin (e.g. England vs Ireland), it\u2019s impossible to identify the proportion with Irish heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I reviewed the census to identify which names are predominantly Irish in origin. In order to estimate the relative rankings of \u201cIrish\u201d names, I\u2019ve mostly excluded surnames that have varying origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kavanagh_In_Historic_Times\"><\/span>Kavanagh In Historic Times<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It is fascinating to examine how the prevalence of a surname shifts over the course of time in a country as young as the United States. As well as immigration, this reflects other demographic shifts across the nation. Factors include higher child mortality rates and longer life expectancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The historic census records have been transcribed and digitized. I used online archives to run counts of surname populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the totals can\u2019t be exactly accurate due to transcription errors. So, I\u2019ve rounded the numbers to the nearest 50 in the graph below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This picture shows the numbers every twenty years from 1860 to 1940:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kavanagh_us_series.png\" alt=\"how common was Kavanagh in the U.S. between 1860 and 1940\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the numbers in the graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>1860: 350<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1880: 1,200<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1900: 1,750<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1920: 1,750<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1940: 2,250<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kavanagh_In_World_War_II\"><\/span>Kavanagh In World War II<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>About 8.3 million men and women enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Second World War. Many were of Irish heritage, and some were born in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There were registration records for 171 soldiers named Kavanagh who enlisted between 1938 and 1946. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were 6 who were born in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kavanagh_Surname_Meaning_And_Origin\"><\/span>Kavanagh Surname: Meaning And Origin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kavanagh<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kavanagh and its other variants come from the Gaelic surname \u00d3 Caomh\u00e1naigh, which means &#8220;descendant of Caomh\u00e1nach.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The personal name Caomh\u00e1nach is derived from the Irish word caomh, which means gentle. So, the full name is akin to \u201cdescendant of the gentle person\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Famous_Or_Historic_People_Named_Kavanagh\"><\/span>Famous Or Historic People Named Kavanagh<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some notable people with the family name:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>An early Caomh\u00e1nach was a chieftain in the twelfth century and the son of Diarmuid Mac Murchudha, a King of Leinster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Edward Kavanagh (1796 \u2013 1844): born in Maine to immigrants from County Wexford, Edward Kavanagh was elected to the U.S. Congress as the first Catholic congressman from New England. He later served as Governor of Maine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Charles Kavanagh (1864 \u2013 1950): born in County Carlow, Charles Kavanagh became a commander in the British Army. He led the Cavalry Corps during the Battle of Amiens in the First World War.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources\"><\/span>Sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kavanagh.jpg\" alt=\"Kavanagh As A Last Name\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"External_Research\"><\/span>External Research<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ireland 1990s estimates are from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/9204227\/A_Survey_of_Irish_Surnames_1992_97\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Se\u00e1n J. Murphy\u2019s research paper<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The population estimates of 1890 are based on the \u201cSpecial Report on Surnames in Ireland\u201c, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.libraryireland.com\/matheson\/report\/contents.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published in 1909<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The population figures for the 2010 U.S. Census come from a file provided by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/topics\/population\/genealogy\/data\/2010_surnames.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internal_Research\"><\/span>Internal Research<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the population numbers are based on my own research and calculations using online archives. I\u2019ve rounded those numbers to the nearest 50 to account for transcription errors and other technical issues with online databases of this type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Irish census estimates for 1901 and 1911 are my calculations based on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.census.nationalarchives.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Irish National Archives<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I plotted the emigration figures from 1845 to 1854 based on calculations from the archives of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.familysearch.org\/search\/collection\/1368704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Passenger Lists (1820-1957)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_Irish_Names_Starting_With_K\"><\/span>More Irish Names Starting With K<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"717\">Kavanagh<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/keane-as-an-irish-last-name\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"451\">Keane<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kennedy-as-an-irish-last-name\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"452\">Kennedy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kenny-as-an-irish-last-name\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"453\">Kenny<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article looks at how common Kavanagh is as a last name in Ireland and the United States from the 19th century to the present day. You\u2019ll learn the meaning and origins of the Kavanagh surname while exploring some notable and famous people that held it. I use census records, emigration lists, and military archives &#8230; <a title=\"Kavanagh As An Irish Last Name\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-as-an-irish-last-name\/\" aria-label=\"More on Kavanagh As An Irish Last Name\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":730,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}