Contents [hide]

Kearney History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Kearney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Kearney

What does the name Kearney mean?

The surname derives from the Gaelic "O Catharnaigh," derived from the word "cearnach," meaning "warlike" or 'victorious'.

Early Origins of the Kearney family

The surname Kearney was first found in County Meath (Irish: An Mhí) anciently part of the kingdom of Brega, located in Eastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster and County Clare where O'Kearney, were chiefs of Avon-Ui-Cearney or O'Kearney's River, a district about Six-Mile-Bridge, in the baronies of Tulla and Bunratty.

Early History of the Kearney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kearney research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1564, 1565, 1567, 1600, 1602, 1603, 1625, 1640 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Kearney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kearney Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Carney, Kearney, O'Kearney, O'Carney and others.

Early Notables of the Kearney family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Barnabas Kearney, in Irish Brian O Cearnaidh (1567-1640), Jesuit, born about 29 Sept. 1567, a native of Cashel, Ireland, the son of Patrick Kearney. His brother David was Roman Catholic Archbishop of...
John Carney or Kearney, in Irish Sean O Cearnaidh (d. 1600?), was an Irish divine, a native of Leyney in the province of Connaught, was matriculated as a sizar of Magdalene College, Cambridge, on 12 N...
Andreas Kearne (fl. 1650), was a British sculptor, a native of Germany, married, a sister of Nicholas Stone the elder. John Kearney of Fethard, was prominent in court and legal circles in England

Kearney World Ranking

In the United States, the name Kearney is the 1,750^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Kearney is ranked the 681^st most popular surname with an estimated 64 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Kearney is the 816^th popular surname with an estimated 4,815 people with that name. 3

Kearney migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kearney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Kearney, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 4

Kearney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bryan Kearney, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1802
Ann Kearney, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1804
Michael Kearney, who settled in New York in 1811
Francis Kearney, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
Daniel Kearney, who settled in Philadelphia in 1812
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kearney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kearney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Patrick Kearney and his wife and four children, who arrived in Quebec in 1825
Rose Kearney, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1833
John Kearney, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
Ellen Kearney, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
John Kearney, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kearney migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kearney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Susan Kearney, (Julian, Juliana), Irish country servant who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 21st March 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia then transported on to Tasmania per "Elizabeth Henrietta" 5
James Kearney, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. James Kearney, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Richard Kearney, a cabinet-maker, who arrived in Van Diemenâ€™s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
William Kearney, a leather-dresser, who arrived in Van Diemenâ€™s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kearney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kearney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Ann Kearney, (b. 1818), aged 44, Irish housekeeper from Armagh, travelling form London aboard the ship"Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 8
Miss Eliza Kearney, (b. 1841), aged 21, Irish domestic servant from Armagh, travelling form London aboard the ship"Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 8
Mr. William Kearney, (b. 1843), aged 19, Irish farm labourer from Armagh, travelling form London aboard the ship"Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 8
Mr. Maxwell Kearney, (b. 1844), aged 18, Irish farm labourer from Armagh, travelling form London aboard the ship"Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 8
Miss Sarah Ann Kearney, (b. 1846), aged 16, Irish domestic servant from Armagh, travelling form London aboard the ship"Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kearney (post 1700) +

James Lee "Jim" Kearney (1943-2024), American football safety who played twelve seasons in the NFL and the AFL from 1965 to 1976
David William Kearney (1934-2022), known as Guitar Shorty, an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, known for his explosive guitar style and wild stage antics
Hannah Kearney (b. 1986), American gold medalist mogul skier at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Denis Kearney (1847-1907), Irish-born, American political agitator, known mostly for his anti-Chinese influence in California
Edward T. Kearney, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1953 9
Dyre Kearney (d. 1791), American politician, Delegate to Continental Congress from Delaware, 1787 9
Dennis J. Kearney, American politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, 1983 9
Daniel J. Kearney, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1924 9
Bernard William Kearney (1889-1976), American Republican politician, Lawyer 9
Bernard Kearney, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Essex County, 1864-65 9
... (Another 34 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kearney family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Dennis Frances Kearney (1939-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Hillsborough, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 10

HMS Hood

Mr. Thomas P Kearney (b. 1909), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy Reserve from Sunderland, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 11

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Thomas Kearney, Irish Fireman from Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 12
Mr. Patrick Kearney, Irish Trimmer from Crumlin, Mayo, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 12

SS Southern Cross

Mr. William Kearney (1894-1914), Newfoundlander from Seal Cove who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Kearney Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sustine et abstine
Motto Translation: Sustain and abstain

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/