NameCensus.

UK surname

Malone

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Maoil Eoin," meaning "a devotee of Saint John."

In the 1881 census there were 2,398 people recorded with the Malone surname, ranking it #1,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,191, ranked #932, up from #1,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Hilltown and The Glens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malone is 7,330 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 199.9%.

1881 census count

2,398

Ranked #1,860

Modern count

7,191

2016, ranked #932

Peak year

2010

7,330 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malone had 2,398 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,191 in 2016, ranked #932.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,945 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Malone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Malone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malone 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 943 #2,943
1861 historical 1,325 #2,164
1881 historical 2,398 #1,860
1891 historical 2,508 #1,889
1901 historical 2,945 #1,903
1911 historical 2,519 #2,034
1997 modern 6,430 #1,013
1998 modern 6,620 #1,026
1999 modern 6,700 #1,021
2000 modern 6,698 #1,010
2001 modern 6,514 #1,020
2002 modern 6,785 #996
2003 modern 6,669 #991
2004 modern 6,639 #998
2005 modern 6,681 #983
2006 modern 6,727 #970
2007 modern 6,822 #965
2008 modern 6,916 #958
2009 modern 7,123 #950
2010 modern 7,330 #937
2011 modern 7,160 #947
2012 modern 7,001 #950
2013 modern 7,176 #941
2014 modern 7,264 #934
2015 modern 7,193 #932
2016 modern 7,191 #932

Geography

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Where Malones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Hilltown, The Glens, Stobswell and Law. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Hilltown Dundee City
3 The Glens Dundee City
4 Stobswell Dundee City
5 Law Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malone

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Malone, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Malone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Malone household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Malone is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Malone is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Malone 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 Malone is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Malone

The surname Malone is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "O Maoilain" which means "descendant of the tonsured one". It is believed to have originated in County Fermanagh and surrounding areas of Ulster in the 12th century.

The name is thought to have evolved from the personal name "Maolan" which was a diminutive form of the Irish word "mael" meaning "tonsured" or "bald". The prefix "O" in O Maoilain indicated the name was hereditary, passing down through generations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malone appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is spelled "O Maelan" in reference to events occurring in the year 1181.

The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the 16th century, where it is spelled "O Maylone".

Notable individuals with the surname Malone throughout history include Edmund Malone (1741-1812), an Irish editor and literary critic who published an influential edition of William Shakespeare's plays. Marcus Malone (1834-1915) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas.

Cheryl Malone (born 1950) is an American television news anchor and reporter who has worked for various networks including CBS and NBC. Walter Malone (1909-2003) was an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader who performed with notable musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

The name Malone is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Malone Park and Malone Road in Belfast, which were named after the Malone family who owned lands in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malone 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. Lancashire leads with 789 Malones recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 789 2.84x
Lanarkshire 258 3.41x
Yorkshire 191 0.82x
Middlesex 170 0.73x
Cheshire 128 2.48x
Durham 124 1.78x
Northumberland 85 2.44x
Surrey 85 0.75x
Angus 77 3.55x
Wigtownshire 49 15.78x
Renfrewshire 46 2.54x
Midlothian 42 1.34x
Warwickshire 40 0.68x
Hampshire 37 0.77x
Kent 34 0.43x
Cumberland 20 0.99x
West Lothian 20 5.68x
Staffordshire 19 0.24x
Perthshire 16 1.52x
Ayrshire 15 0.86x
Devon 13 0.27x
Gloucestershire 12 0.26x
Essex 11 0.24x
Sussex 10 0.25x
Derbyshire 9 0.25x
Clackmannanshire 8 4.14x
Monmouthshire 8 0.47x
Denbighshire 7 0.79x
Somerset 7 0.19x
Suffolk 7 0.25x
Worcestershire 7 0.23x
Bedfordshire 6 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.42x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.95x
Ross-shire 6 0.93x
Dorset 5 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.13x
Stirlingshire 4 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.58x
Roxburghshire 2 0.47x
Royal Navy 2 0.72x
Anglesey 1 0.24x
East Lothian 1 0.32x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.05x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 160 Malones recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.49x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 160 9.49x
Barony 73 3.81x
Manchester 68 5.45x
Dundee 54 6.68x
Govan 43 2.30x
Birkenhead 37 8.99x
Glasgow 37 2.76x
Bermondsey 34 4.88x
Stockport 33 12.42x
Widnes 32 15.99x
Old Monkland 30 10.00x
Wigan 30 7.74x
Toxteth Park 29 3.09x
Kirkdale 25 5.36x
Oldham 25 2.79x
Aston 24 1.48x
Longbenton 24 16.29x
Salford 23 2.82x
Bury 22 6.94x
Accrington 21 8.33x
Sheffield 21 2.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 1.59x
Leeds 20 1.53x
Monks Coppenhall 20 10.27x
St Marylebone London 20 1.60x
Bootle Cum Linacre 19 8.62x
Gateshead 19 3.65x
Lanark 19 31.22x
Blantyre 18 22.86x
Eastwood 18 16.13x
St Anne Soho London 18 13.48x
Clayton Le Moors 17 31.58x
Everton 17 1.92x
Much Woolton 17 45.15x
Spotland 17 5.51x
Conside Knitsley 16 29.58x
Liff Benvie 16 4.87x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 4.98x
New Monkland 15 6.71x
Preston 15 2.02x
West Derby 15 1.85x
Perth Middle Church 14 35.47x
Alverstoke 13 7.49x
Hexham 13 24.15x
Pennington In Ulverston 13 94.20x
St Botolph Aldgate 13 40.73x
Birmingham 12 0.61x
Blackburn 12 1.63x
Keighley 12 4.86x
Leswalt 12 56.42x
Wardleworth 12 7.57x
Bowling 11 4.79x
Bradford 11 1.96x
Crosscanonby 11 16.52x
Horton In Bradford 11 3.04x
Huddersfield 11 3.26x
Bristol Christchurch 10 150.15x
Dukinfield 10 4.19x
Great Bolton 10 2.72x
Hackney London 10 0.76x
Hastings St Clement 10 26.95x
Hook 10 19.62x
Lambeth 10 0.49x
Mile End Old Town 10 2.71x
Pendleton In Salford 10 3.03x
Penninghame 10 31.59x
Hulme 9 1.55x
Islington London 9 0.40x
Portsea 9 0.96x
Runcorn 9 7.56x
Sorbie 9 66.32x
South Leith 9 2.55x
Uphall 9 23.24x
Wallsend 9 8.16x
Westminster St John 9 3.16x
Bishopwearmouth 8 1.34x
Canterbury St Dunstan 8 58.10x
Coxlodge 8 30.25x
Gorton 8 3.07x
West Greenock 8 2.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 190
Catherine 64
Margaret 62
Ann 50
Elizabeth 47
Ellen 46
Jane 31
Bridget 30
Annie 29
Sarah 25
Kate 19
Anne 18
Alice 17
Maria 17
Julia 16
Emma 10
Rose 10
Agnes 9
Emily 9
Eliza 7
Esther 7
Susan 7
Charlotte 6
Frances 6
Hannah 6
Louisa 6
Martha 6
Elizth. 5
Harriet 5
Isabella 5
Lizzie 5
Teresa 5
Anna 4
Fanny 4
Harriett 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Cathrine 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Florence 3
Lucy 3
Maggie 3
Minnie 3
Nora 3
Rebecca 3
Susannah 3
Amelia 2
Margret 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 161
Thomas 109
James 93
Patrick 59
William 55
Michael 43
Peter 35
Edward 32
Henry 23
Joseph 21
Richard 19
Charles 17
Martin 15
Francis 12
Robert 10
Daniel 8
Dennis 8
George 8
Philip 8
Wm. 8
Frank 7
Frederick 6
Albert 5
Andrew 5
Anthony 5
Arthur 5
Christopher 5
Thos. 5
Austin 4
Bernard 4
Denis 4
Hugh 4
Lawrence 4
Matthew 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Owen 3
David 2
Edwd. 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Jno. 2
Louis 2
Morris 2
Pat 2
Robt. 2
Silvester 2
Terence 2
Timothy 2

FAQ

Malone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,398 people were recorded with the Malone surname. That placed it at #1,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,191 in 2016. That gives Malone a modern rank of #932.

What does the Malone surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Maoil Eoin," meaning "a devotee of Saint John."

What does the Malone map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Malone 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.