NameCensus.

UK surname

Moloney

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of the Church."

In the 1881 census there were 319 people recorded with the Moloney surname, ranking it #9,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,692, ranked #2,493, up from #9,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moloney is 2,774 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 743.9%.

1881 census count

319

Ranked #9,326

Modern count

2,692

2016, ranked #2,493

Peak year

2014

2,774 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moloney had 319 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,692 in 2016, ranked #2,493.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 580 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Moloney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moloney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moloney 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 153 #12,721
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 319 #9,326
1891 historical 370 #9,429
1901 historical 395 #9,562
1911 historical 580 #7,013
1997 modern 2,587 #2,453
1998 modern 2,622 #2,497
1999 modern 2,643 #2,499
2000 modern 2,606 #2,517
2001 modern 2,547 #2,521
2002 modern 2,626 #2,510
2003 modern 2,544 #2,529
2004 modern 2,507 #2,566
2005 modern 2,457 #2,575
2006 modern 2,469 #2,570
2007 modern 2,503 #2,565
2008 modern 2,529 #2,563
2009 modern 2,641 #2,519
2010 modern 2,716 #2,512
2011 modern 2,651 #2,536
2012 modern 2,647 #2,498
2013 modern 2,722 #2,478
2014 modern 2,774 #2,460
2015 modern 2,727 #2,471
2016 modern 2,692 #2,493

Geography

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Where Moloneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures), Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Bristol, Milton Keynes and Manchester. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) Leicestershire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 031 Birmingham
2 Birmingham 085 Birmingham
3 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of
4 Milton Keynes 012 Milton Keynes
5 Manchester 041 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moloney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moloney

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Moloney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Moloney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Moloney 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

Moloney 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

Moloney falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moloney 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 Moloney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moloney

The surname Moloney has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Cork and Kerry. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, which means "descendant of the devotee of the Church." The name is derived from the Irish words "maol" meaning "devotee" and "domhnach" meaning "church."

The Moloney name can be traced back to the 12th century in Irish records. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle written by the monks of Inisfallen Abbey in County Kerry, which mentions a Maoldomhnaigh in the year 1172.

In the 16th century, the Moloney clan was prominent in the baronies of Magunihy and Duhallow in County Cork. They were allies of the powerful McCarthy clan and played a significant role in the local politics of the region.

An early record of the name appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, a collection of official documents from the 16th century, which mentions a Patrick Moloney who was granted lands in County Cork in 1589.

One of the earliest known Moloneys was Sir Thomas Moloney, who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland in the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and played a crucial role in the administration of the Irish legal system during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was Daniel Moloney, an Irish lawyer and politician who lived in the 18th century. He was born in County Cork in 1718 and served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Doneraile from 1761 to 1768.

In the 19th century, William Moloney was a prominent Irish-American politician and lawyer. He was born in County Cork in 1819 and emigrated to the United States in the 1840s. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was known for his advocacy of Irish-American rights.

John Moloney was an Irish-born Australian politician and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in County Clare in 1865 and emigrated to Australia in 1886. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives and was a vocal advocate for workers' rights and social reforms.

Finally, Thomas Moloney was an Irish-American bishop who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in County Tipperary in 1858 and emigrated to the United States as a child. He was appointed as the Bishop of San Antonio, Texas, in 1915, a position he held until his death in 1942.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moloney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moloney 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 103 Moloneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 103 2.76x
Middlesex 53 1.68x
Yorkshire 30 0.96x
Lanarkshire 21 2.06x
Surrey 18 1.17x
Kent 14 1.30x
Devon 10 1.52x
Durham 8 0.85x
Gloucestershire 8 1.29x
Pembrokeshire 8 7.99x
Glamorgan 6 1.09x
Channel Islands 5 5.36x
Cheshire 5 0.72x
Hampshire 5 0.77x
Hertfordshire 5 2.30x
Staffordshire 4 0.38x
Berkshire 3 1.27x
Derbyshire 3 0.61x
Midlothian 2 0.47x
Perthshire 2 1.41x
Warwickshire 2 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.34x
Dorset 1 0.48x
Leicestershire 1 0.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.20x
Norfolk 1 0.21x
Somerset 1 0.20x
Wiltshire 1 0.36x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x

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 33 Moloneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.53x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 33 14.53x
Barony 10 3.88x
Crompton 10 93.90x
Everton 10 8.39x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 19.79x
Heworth 8 43.31x
Walton On Hill 8 39.51x
Clifton 7 22.41x
Gillingham 7 31.59x
Hulme 7 8.97x
Isleworth 7 49.96x
Leeds 7 3.97x
Pembroke St Mary 7 54.31x
Ratcliffe London 7 40.23x
Battersea 6 5.18x
Horton In Bradford 6 12.31x
Paddington London 6 5.18x
Bow London 5 12.47x
Cardiff St John 5 27.90x
Dewsbury 5 15.62x
Govan 5 1.98x
Lambeth 5 1.82x
Manchester 5 2.97x
Mile End Old Town 5 10.05x
Preston 5 5.00x
Salford 5 4.55x
St Helier 5 16.45x
Watford 5 29.69x
York St Lawrence 5 153.37x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 4.90x
Maryhill 4 20.05x
Wallasey 4 168.78x
Warrington 4 9.03x
Milton In Gravesend 3 18.61x
St George Hanover 3 7.29x
St Giles In Fields 3 27.60x
St Pancras London 3 1.18x
Bermondsey 2 2.13x
Birmingham 2 0.76x
Blackburn 2 2.01x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 23.45x
Ealing 2 7.10x
Glasgow 2 1.11x
Holy Trinity 2 2.66x
Kings Somborne 2 148.15x
Limehouse London 2 5.78x
Ludworth 2 86.21x
Madderty 2 350.88x
Northowram 2 9.14x
Openshaw 2 11.42x
Pendleton In Salford 2 4.49x
Richmond 2 9.30x
Spotland 2 4.81x
St George Bloomsbury 2 11.06x
St Marylebone London 2 1.19x
Whittington 2 91.74x
Bath St James 1 18.90x
Bradford 1 1.32x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.92x
Clapham 1 2.54x
Colerne 1 87.72x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.59x
Farnborough 1 14.75x
Fulham London 1 2.19x
Garston 1 9.07x
Greenwich 1 1.99x
Hampstead London 1 2.04x
Kings Norton 1 2.71x
Kirkdale 1 1.59x
Manningham 1 2.60x
Milford Haven 1 123.46x
Newbury 1 13.19x
Portland 1 8.99x
Sandhurst 1 21.83x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 27.70x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 23.26x
Stoney Stanton 1 93.46x
Streatham 1 4.28x
Thetford St Peter 1 78.74x
Wigan 1 1.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 35
Ellen 15
Margaret 9
Bridget 8
Jane 6
Ann 5
Anne 5
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Kate 4
Annie 3
Elizebeth 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Bridgett 1
Cathrine 1
Constance 1
Dorothea 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Hanora 1
Jessie 1
Johana 1
Julietta 1
Kathleen 1
Lavinia 1
Lucy 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Rose 1
Sabina 1
Theresa 1
Winefrid 1
Winnefred 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
Michael 19
James 14
Thomas 14
William 12
Patrick 9
Francis 5
Charles 4
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Lawrence 3
Martin 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
George 2
Micheal 2
Morris 2
Richard 2
Alice 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Denis 1
Dominic 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Josh.R. 1
Lewis 1
Michel 1
Michl. 1
Patr. 1
Pattric 1
Peter 1
Stephen 1
Teddy 1
Thos. 1
Thos.A. 1
Timothy 1
Tommy 1
Vernon 1

FAQ

Moloney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moloney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 319 people were recorded with the Moloney surname. That placed it at #9,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moloney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,692 in 2016. That gives Moloney a modern rank of #2,493.

What does the Moloney surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of the Church."

What does the Moloney map show?

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