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Kerney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Kerney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

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

Early Origins of the Kerney family

The surname Kerney 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 Kerney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kerney 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 Kerney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kerney Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Kerney 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 Cashel from 1603 to 1625. 1John 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 Nov. 1561, and proceeded...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kerney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kerney Ranking

In the United States, the name Kerney is the 11,044^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Kerney migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kerney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

David Kerney, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 3

Kerney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Kerney, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 3

Kerney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Kerney, aged 27, who landed in New York in 1812 3
William Kerney, aged 20, who arrived in America in 1821 3
Michael Kerney, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 3
Mary Kerney, who landed in New York in 1845 3

Kerney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kerney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mathew Kerney lived in Harbour Grace in 1775 and also lived in St. John's, the Bay of Bulls, Mobile, and Carbonear, Newfoundland 4

Kerney migration to Australia +

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

Kerney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Kerney, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Anna Maria" in 1849 5

Kerney 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:

Kerney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Kerney, aged 30, a carpenter, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Ellen Kerney, aged 28, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Elizabeth Kerney, aged 2, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Anna M. Kerney, aged 4 months, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Mr. John Kerney, (b. 1810), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kerney (post 1700) +

Kelley Kerney, American novelist
Patrick Manning Kerney (b. 1976), retired American NFL football defensive end
Sally Kerney, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii, 1972 7
Robert L. Kerney, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2000 7
Leopold H. Kerney, first Irish Minister Plenipotentiary to be appointed to Spain (1935 to 1946)

Historic Events for the Kerney family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Harry Kerney (1894-1914), Irish Third Class Passenger from Londonderry, Ireland who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 8

The Kerney 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

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ANNA MARIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849AnnaMaria.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). 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
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html