UK surname
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Muldowney, derived from an Irish Gaelic personal name meaning "tawny."
In the 1881 census there were 267 people recorded with the Malony surname, ranking it #10,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18, ranked #36,832, down from #10,573 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, St Mary Whitechapel and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malony is 345 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 93.3%.
1881 census count
267
Ranked #10,573
Modern count
18
2016, ranked #36,832
Peak year
1861
345 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Malony surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Malony surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 283 | #7,996 |
| 1861 | historical | 345 | #7,398 |
| 1881 | historical | 267 | #10,573 |
| 1891 | historical | 193 | #15,335 |
| 1901 | historical | 123 | #20,248 |
| 1911 | historical | 107 | #21,842 |
| 1997 | modern | 8 | #37,372 |
| 1998 | modern | 10 | #37,048 |
| 1999 | modern | 15 | #36,476 |
| 2000 | modern | 18 | #36,104 |
| 2001 | modern | 16 | #36,160 |
| 2002 | modern | 20 | #35,894 |
| 2003 | modern | 18 | #36,115 |
| 2004 | modern | 20 | #36,053 |
| 2005 | modern | 19 | #36,247 |
| 2006 | modern | 22 | #36,105 |
| 2007 | modern | 19 | #36,450 |
| 2008 | modern | 18 | #36,607 |
| 2009 | modern | 16 | #36,850 |
| 2010 | modern | 20 | #36,599 |
| 2011 | modern | 18 | #36,739 |
| 2012 | modern | 18 | #36,723 |
| 2013 | modern | 20 | #36,614 |
| 2014 | modern | 20 | #36,654 |
| 2015 | modern | 17 | #36,887 |
| 2016 | modern | 18 | #36,832 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, St Mary Whitechapel, Toxteth Park, St Pancras and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton | Staffordshire |
| 2 | St Mary Whitechapel | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 4 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 5 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Malony surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Malony, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Malony surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Malony household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Malony is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Malony is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Malony, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Malony is thought to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized variation of the Gaelic name O'Maoilmuaidh, which translates to "descendant of the devotee of St. Muadh." The name Muadh is derived from the Irish word "maith," meaning good or noble.
The Malony name can be traced back to County Mayo in the west of Ireland, where it was particularly prevalent among families in the Barony of Carra. Records from the 16th century show various spellings of the name, including Maolmuaidh, Mulmoye, and Molony, before the spelling Malony became more standardized.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Malony name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The annals mention a Maolmuaidh Ó Maoilmuaidh, a member of a prominent Malony family, who was involved in a conflict in County Mayo in the year 1235.
In the 14th century, the Malony family held significant landholdings in the Barony of Carra and were considered among the principal families of County Mayo. Several members of the family are mentioned in the annals and other historical records from this period, including Aodh Malony, who was involved in a battle against the English in 1384.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Malony name appears in various legal documents and records related to land ownership and disputes in County Mayo. One notable figure from this time was Edmond Malony, a member of the Irish Catholic gentry who was granted lands in County Mayo by King James I in the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Malony family migrated to County Galway, where they established themselves as landowners and became involved in local politics. John Malony, born in 1745, was a prominent member of this branch and served as a magistrate in County Galway.
Other notable individuals with the Malony surname throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Malony (1650-1725), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. 2. Michael Malony (1796-1868), an Irish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who was instrumental in the early exploration and mapping of parts of South Australia and Victoria. 3. Charles Malony (1811-1886), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in the United States. 4. John Malony (1838-1918), an Irish-American journalist and author who co-founded the newspaper The Irish World and advocated for Irish independence. 5. Mary Malony (1865-1952), an Irish-born Australian author and journalist who wrote extensively about Australian history and culture.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malony surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 79 Malonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 79 | 2.55x |
| Middlesex | 49 | 1.87x |
| Yorkshire | 29 | 1.12x |
| Surrey | 19 | 1.49x |
| Warwickshire | 14 | 2.12x |
| Lanarkshire | 11 | 1.30x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 1.02x |
| Angus | 6 | 2.48x |
| Kent | 5 | 0.56x |
| Cheshire | 4 | 0.69x |
| Durham | 4 | 0.51x |
| Gloucestershire | 4 | 0.78x |
| Hampshire | 4 | 0.75x |
| Monmouthshire | 4 | 2.12x |
| Devon | 3 | 0.55x |
| Essex | 3 | 0.58x |
| Midlothian | 3 | 0.86x |
| Northumberland | 3 | 0.77x |
| Cambridgeshire | 2 | 1.21x |
| Glamorgan | 2 | 0.44x |
| Stirlingshire | 2 | 2.07x |
| Ayrshire | 1 | 0.51x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.24x |
| Dorset | 1 | 0.58x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.28x |
| Oxfordshire | 1 | 0.62x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 3.21x |
| Somerset | 1 | 0.24x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.23x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.29x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 15 Malonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.96x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Malony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 35 |
| Margaret | 10 |
| Ann | 7 |
| Bridget | 7 |
| Catherine | 7 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Ellen | 4 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Sarah | 3 |
| Agnes | 2 |
| Alice | 2 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Bridgett | 2 |
| Charlott | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Julia | 2 |
| S.Jane | 2 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Betsey | 1 |
| Catharine | 1 |
| Cathrn. | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Eveline | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Hilda | 1 |
| Ira | 1 |
| Jenny | 1 |
| Johana | 1 |
| Johannah | 1 |
| Joseph | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Maggie | 1 |
| Mar... | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Mona | 1 |
| Nolan | 1 |
| Norah | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Sebina | 1 |
| Sophy | 1 |
| Tulysses | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Malony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| James | 17 |
| Patrick | 15 |
| John | 11 |
| William | 11 |
| Michael | 10 |
| Thomas | 9 |
| Edward | 5 |
| Joseph | 4 |
| Martin | 3 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Cornelius | 2 |
| Daniel | 2 |
| George | 2 |
| Peter | 2 |
| Timothy | 2 |
| Charley | 1 |
| Dennis | 1 |
| Denny | 1 |
| Eustace | 1 |
| Francis | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| Frederick | 1 |
| Gilbert | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Harry | 1 |
| Henry | 1 |
| Jam. | 1 |
| Michail | 1 |
| Michal | 1 |
| Robert | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| T. | 1 |
| Thos | 1 |
| Tommy | 1 |
| Trevor | 1 |
| Vaudelaw | 1 |
| Willm. | 1 |
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 Malony households.
FAQ
In 1881, 267 people were recorded with the Malony surname. That placed it at #10,573 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 18 in 2016. That gives Malony a modern rank of #36,832.
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Muldowney, derived from an Irish Gaelic personal name meaning "tawny."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Malony bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.