# Kenny (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/kenny/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 17,429 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,077 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 17,714 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.7% (16,811 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛni/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Kenneth or Ken + -y (diminutive form).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Kenny in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 89% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 5.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Kenny in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

## People named Kenny

- Tom Kenny, American actor and comedian (born 1962)
- Jason Kenny, British cyclist (1988-)
- Laura Kenny, British cyclist (1992-)
- Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse (1880-1952)
- Grant Kenny, Australian canoeist and surf lifesaver
- Yvonne Kenny, Australian soprano (born 1950)
- Maria Beasley, American entrepreneur and inventor
- Jodie Schulz, Australian female field hockey player

## Similar surnames

Kinney, Kenney, Keen, Keeney, Kean, Kenna, Keaney, Kim, Khan, Kane, Kuhn, Keene.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.