A Irish name gently fading from the charts.
A surname from Irish.
Hennessy is a girl's and boy's baby name of Irish origin, from the Gaelic Ó hAonghusa, meaning 'descendant of Angus,' where Angus derives from the Old Irish meaning 'one choice' or 'singular.'
Hennessy is famously the name of the world's best-selling cognac brand — founded in 1765 by Irish Jacobite officer Richard Hennessy in Cognac, France. As a given name it has spirited, luxury-brand associations alongside its genuine Irish surname heritage.
Hennessy was #2937 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #3524, but its charm endures.
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 269 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 584 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 558 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 120 | — |
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 44 | #3524 |
| 2023 | 39 | #3864 |
| 2022 | 66 | #2640 |
| 2021 | 67 | #2599 |
| 2020 | 53 | #3035 |
| 2019 | 82 | #2239 |
| 2018 | 74 | #2422 |
| 2017 | 45 | #3452 |
| 2016 | 44 | #3544 |
| 2015 | 38 | #3940 |
| 2014 | 49 | #3290 |
| 2013 | 62 | #2780 |
| 2012 | 57 | #2986 |
| 2011 | 62 | #2811 |
| 2010 | 71 | #2568 |
| 2009 | 78 | #2454 |
| 2008 | 70 | #2643 |
| 2007 | 57 | #3069 |
| 2006 | 74 | #2491 |
| 2005 | 62 | #2711 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
While overwhelmingly a girl's name, Hennessy has also been given to 62 boys in the U.S. since 1996.
Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (1991–2024) · Methodology