NameCensus.

UK surname

Malarkey

An Irish surname likely derived from an old nickname for a talkative or gossiping individual.

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Malarkey surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include York, Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch and Shawfield and Clincarthill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malarkey is 207 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 579.3%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

2014

207 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malarkey had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 40 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Malarkey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Malarkey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Malarkey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malarkey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3 #32,890
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 30 #30,724
1911 historical 29 #30,190
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 194 #18,451
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 181 #19,106
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 172 #19,893
2004 modern 168 #20,300
2005 modern 168 #20,227
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 186 #19,524
2009 modern 191 #19,592
2010 modern 196 #19,698
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 207 #19,155
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Malarkeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to York, Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch, Shawfield and Clincarthill and Sunderland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 York 005 York
2 Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch Glasgow City
3 York 004 York
4 Shawfield and Clincarthill South Lanarkshire
5 Sunderland 035 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malarkey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Malarkey surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malarkey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Malarkey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Malarkey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Malarkey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Malarkey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Malarkey is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Malarkey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Malarkey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Malarkey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Malarkey

The surname Malarkey is of Irish origin, originating in the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic words "mala" meaning "bag" and "raic" meaning "contention" or "dispute", likely referring to an itinerant merchant or peddler who carried their wares in a bag.

The name was first recorded in County Cork, Ireland, where it was initially rendered as "Mullarkey" and "Mullarky". Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Malarkey. Records from the 16th and 17th centuries show the name concentrated in the southern counties of Ireland, particularly Cork, Kerry, and Limerick.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the Irish Court of Chancery. In 1564, a Dermot Mullarkey is mentioned in a land grant in County Cork. In the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, a Donnchadh Malarkey is recorded as an Irish chieftain in the early 17th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Malarkey include John Malarkey (1733-1808), an Irish-born soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania. In the 19th century, Patrick Malarkey (1836-1912) was a prominent politician and Member of Parliament in New Zealand, representing the Hutt constituency.

Another well-known figure was Michael Malarkey (1875-1935), an Irish writer and journalist who was active in the Irish literary renaissance of the early 20th century. He was a close friend of the poet W.B. Yeats and contributed to several Irish publications.

In more recent times, actor and musician Sam Malarkey (born 1988) has gained recognition for his roles in television series such as "Outlander" and "Penny Dreadful". He is also the lead singer of the rock band "Mighty Reckless".

While the name has evolved over centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Irish merchants and peddlers who carried their wares in bags, reflecting the resourcefulness and entrepreneurial spirit of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malarkey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malarkey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 9 Malarkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.84x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 9 9.84x
Durham 5 5.94x
Lancashire 5 1.49x
Northumberland 5 11.89x
Derbyshire 2 4.52x
Essex 1 1.79x
Staffordshire 1 1.05x
Yorkshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 5 Malarkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.60x.

Place Total Index
Barony 5 21.60x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 909.09x
Glasgow 4 24.63x
Much Woolton 4 869.57x
Newbottle 4 869.57x
Derby St Werburgh 2 78.13x
Benfieldside 1 181.82x
Clifton In York 1 169.49x
Leyton Low 1 88.50x
Liverpool 1 4.91x
Wolverhampton 1 13.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Malarkey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Ellen 1
Jessie 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Malarkey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 2
Daniel 1
James 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Malarkey households.

FAQ

Malarkey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malarkey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Malarkey surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malarkey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Malarkey a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Malarkey surname mean?

An Irish surname likely derived from an old nickname for a talkative or gossiping individual.

What does the Malarkey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Malarkey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.