NameCensus.

UK surname

Maloy

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolmhuidh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of Saint Maudez."

In the 1881 census there were 460 people recorded with the Maloy surname, ranking it #7,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 213, ranked #18,785, down from #7,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northampton, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maloy is 460 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.7%.

1881 census count

460

Ranked #7,211

Modern count

213

2016, ranked #18,785

Peak year

1881

460 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maloy had 460 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016, ranked #18,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 460 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Maloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maloy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maloy 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 301 #7,626
1861 historical 394 #6,504
1881 historical 460 #7,211
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 184 #18,580
1998 modern 199 #18,177
1999 modern 199 #18,293
2000 modern 197 #18,384
2001 modern 194 #18,287
2002 modern 193 #18,713
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 195 #18,799
2008 modern 201 #18,584
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 208 #18,783
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 213 #18,785

Geography

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Where Maloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northampton, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Nottingham and Blaby. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northampton 003 Northampton
2 South Tyneside 017 South Tyneside
3 Sunderland 010 Sunderland
4 Nottingham 010 Nottingham
5 Blaby 011 Blaby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maloy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maloy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Maloy, 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 Maloy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Maloy 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Maloy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maloy is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Maloy falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maloy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Maloy

The surname Maloy is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Maolmhuaidh," which means "descendant of the devotee of the Lord."

This name has its earliest known record in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a prominent family by the name of Ó Maolmhuaidh, who were chieftains in County Roscommon during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Mulloy, Mulley, and Mullee, before settling on the more common form of Maloy. These variations were often influenced by the local dialects and pronunciation preferences of different regions within Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Maloy can be found in the Parish Registers of Cavan, dating back to the late 16th century. These records document the baptism of a child named John Maloy in 1598.

Historically, the Maloy family held ties to several placenames in County Roscommon, including Muine Mhaolmhuaidh (anglicized as Mullinamoy), which translates to "the thicket of the devotee of the Lord." This placename likely played a role in the evolution of the surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Maloy surname. One such figure was William Maloy (1638-1714), an Irish Catholic priest and philosopher who was a prominent member of the Jacobite movement in Ireland during the late 17th century.

Another notable Maloy was John Maloy (1786-1861), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century.

In the realm of literature, Mary Maloy (1887-1966) was an Irish poet and writer who gained recognition for her collections of poetry and her contributions to the Irish Literary Revival movement of the early 20th century.

The Maloy surname also has connections to the military, with Major General James Maloy (1894-1962) serving as a highly decorated officer in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War.

Lastly, Patrick Maloy (1934-2014) was a renowned Irish artist and sculptor, known for his public works and sculptures that adorned various cities across Ireland and the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maloy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maloy 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 88 Maloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 88 1.65x
Yorkshire 62 1.39x
Cumberland 57 14.72x
Durham 47 3.51x
Lanarkshire 41 2.82x
Middlesex 25 0.56x
Surrey 23 1.05x
Renfrewshire 17 4.88x
Staffordshire 14 0.92x
Kent 13 0.85x
Ayrshire 12 3.57x
Angus 11 2.64x
Hampshire 11 1.19x
Perthshire 8 3.96x
Warwickshire 7 0.62x
Northumberland 6 0.90x
Essex 3 0.34x
Midlothian 3 0.50x
Cheshire 2 0.20x
Dumfriesshire 2 2.01x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.66x
Sussex 2 0.26x
Buteshire 1 3.67x
Norfolk 1 0.14x
Stirlingshire 1 0.60x
West Lothian 1 1.48x
Worcestershire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Caldewgate in Cumberland leads with 17 Maloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.15x.

Place Total Index
Caldewgate 17 80.15x
Kingston On Thames 13 24.70x
Wigan 13 17.43x
Middle Greenock 12 126.18x
New Monkland 12 27.91x
Sheffield 12 8.46x
Barony 11 2.99x
Shadforth 11 423.08x
Glasgow 10 3.87x
Normanby In 10 83.96x
Rickergate 10 122.10x
Over Darwen 9 21.12x
Widnes 9 23.38x
Deptford St Nicholas 8 65.68x
Liff Benvie 8 12.65x
Preston 8 5.60x
Ryhope 8 86.11x
St Luke London 8 11.09x
Camberwell 7 2.44x
Cockermouth 7 85.89x
Govan 7 1.95x
Halifax 7 10.70x
Bilston 6 20.39x
Fareham 6 54.15x
Fawdon 6 1071.43x
Leeds 6 2.38x
Parr 6 31.43x
St Cuthbert W O 6 31.80x
Whitworth 6 61.29x
Aston 5 1.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 5.90x
Liverpool 5 1.54x
Trimdon 5 105.71x
West Greenock 5 7.99x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 9.64x
Bethnal Green London 4 2.05x
Blackley 4 42.78x
Dewsbury 4 8.75x
Hunslet 4 5.76x
Methven 4 135.14x
Newton 4 9.73x
Portsea 4 2.21x
St Giles In Fields 4 25.79x
St Mary Within 4 82.64x
Tipton 4 8.61x
Whitehaven 4 19.38x
Beith 3 29.88x
Blackburn 3 2.11x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 7.08x
Chelsea London 3 2.21x
Dalmellington 3 30.30x
Dundee 3 1.93x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 11.20x
Gate Fulford 3 28.82x
Gorton 3 5.98x
Heworth 3 11.38x
Kilbirnie 3 37.13x
Preston Quarter 3 27.65x
Shoreditch London 3 1.54x
Sutton 3 18.93x
Westoe 3 3.96x
Birkenhead 2 2.53x
Birmingham 2 0.53x
Brightside Bierlow 2 2.29x
Burnley 2 4.45x
Cardross 2 13.78x
Conside Knitsley 2 19.23x
Dagenham 2 37.88x
Dunkeld Dowally 2 303.03x
Graffham 2 312.50x
Greenwich 2 2.79x
Harton 2 37.81x
Holme Low 2 186.92x
Holy Trinity 2 1.87x
Huddersfield 2 3.08x
Manchester 2 0.83x
Middlesbrough 2 3.45x
Sedgley 2 3.55x
Shildon 2 18.60x
Woolwich 2 3.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 13
Margaret 12
Bridget 11
Ann 10
Catherine 8
Jane 7
Annie 6
Ellen 5
Eliza 4
Anne 3
Emma 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Isabella 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Rosa 1
Rosann 1
Rosen 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 38
James 25
Patrick 19
Thomas 17
Peter 11
William 11
Joseph 6
Michael 6
Charles 3
George 3
Jas. 3
Matthew 3
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Bernard 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
Hugh 2
Jno. 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Bartholomew 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Frances 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Lauriel 1
Mathew 1
Mike 1
Patk. 1
Patric 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Will. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Maloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 460 people were recorded with the Maloy surname. That placed it at #7,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016. That gives Maloy a modern rank of #18,785.

What does the Maloy surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolmhuidh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of Saint Maudez."

What does the Maloy map show?

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