Over 31.5 million Americans, roughly 9.5% of the population, claim Irish ancestry (alone or in combination) according to U.S. Census data, making it a significant heritage group, though German and English ancestries are often reported as larger. Some sources suggest higher numbers, with around 36 million self-identifying as Irish, while Pew Research noted a decline from nearly 39 million in 1990 to 32.7 million in 2015, showing changing trends in self-identification, says Pew Research Center.
31.5 million or 9.5%
The number and percentage of U.S. residents who claimed Irish ancestry in 2021.
Historically, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent are found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The term Irish nose refers to a nasal shape commonly associated with individuals of Irish ancestry. It is typically defined by a slightly rounded or bulbous tip, moderate projection, and a straight to subtly convex bridge, reflecting Northern European craniofacial characteristics.
Following the potato blight in late 1845 that initiated the Great Famine in Ireland, from 1846 to 1851, more than 1 million more Irish immigrated to the United States, 90 percent of whom were Catholic.
There is no definitive figure of the total number of Australians with an Irish background. At the 2021 Australian census, 2,410,833 residents identified themselves as having Irish ancestry either alone or in combination with another ancestry.
According to recent census data, New Hampshire is the most Irish state in the country.
Large cities with the highest percentage of Irish ancestry
The potato famine in the mid-1840s, rising rent for farmland, the precarious nature of the linen industry, and increasingly dire economic conditions were all factors that prompted them to leave Ireland. In America, Irish immigrants faced discrimination due to their religion, language, and lack of work experience.
Unless at least one parent or an Irish-born grandparent was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, you have no automatic right to Irish citizenship on the basis of extended previous ancestry (that is, ancestors other than your parents or grandparents).
They used to live mostly in caravans or mobile homes in which they travelled all over the country or into England. They have Irish surnames – Ward, Connors, Carty, O'Brien, Cash, Coffey, Furey, MacDonagh, Mohan.
For example, in County Down, names such as Hamilton, Montgomery, Annesley, Blackwood, Hastings, DeCourcy, Skeffington, Ward, Stewart, Echlin, Hill, etc were associated with wealth. Looking at the entirety of Ulster others were Chichester, McCracken, McCausland, Maguire, Clements, O'Neill, MacDonnell.
Finnegan is an Irish surname coming from the Gaelic Ó Fionnagáin, meaning "son of fairhaired", or Fionnagán, from the diminutive personal name of Fionn, meaning "fairhaired".
Obama's maternal roots have been traced back to Moneygall in County Offaly, Ireland in the 19th century. Moneygall has a population of 298 people.
About 9.4% of Americans are of Irish descent, but 61% plan to celebrate the holiday this year. March 17, 2025, at 11:51 a.m. The Iona University pipe band marches in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade.
Find Koroit in the Great Ocean Road region between Port Fairy and Warrnambool. This little township holds its own, confident and always true to itself and the rolling green pastures fringing it. Character-filled Koroit is one of Australia`s most complete examples of an early Irish settlement.
Irish people have distinct facial traits of Irish ancestry, shaped by centuries of genetic mixing. While not all Irish people look the same, certain features—such as pale skin, freckles, strong jawlines, and deep-set eyes—are commonly associated with Irish ancestry.
At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated Anglo-Celtic ancestries were: English Australian: 8,395,928. Irish Australian: 2,410,833. Scottish Australian: 2,176,777.
In fact, you may be surprised to know that 38 percent of African Americans have an Irish heritage.”—The St. Louis American. The African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN) connects African Americans with Ireland, Northern Ireland, andthe global Irish diaspora through shared heritage, culture, and collaboration.
And the Irish immigrants' attraction to the police department was part of the attitudes immigrants brought from Ireland, according to J.M. Levine. This attraction was based on the respect and envy of the power, authority, and status that police in Ireland had over powerless peasants.
What is the most common Irish surname? Murphy is consistently recorded as the most common surname in Ireland, with Kelly, O'Sullivan, Walsh, and Byrne among the next most frequent.