Find out how popular the last name Malley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Malley.

Malley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Malley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malley in America

Malley is the 8313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malley surname appeared 3,986 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Malley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Malley

The surname Malley is believed to have originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic personal name Maelmhaedhoc, which means "a devotee of St. Maedhoc." The name was anglicized to various spellings, including Malley, Melly, Milley, and Molly.

The first recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, the name is spelled "Ó Máille," which translates to "descendant of Máille."

During the Middle Ages, the Malley clan was prominent in County Mayo, Ireland, particularly in the baronies of Erris and Gallen. They were a powerful family and held significant influence in the region.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Malley was Tomaltach Ó Máille, a 14th-century chieftain and leader of the Malley clan. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters for his involvement in various conflicts and battles.

In the 16th century, the Malley family was engaged in a long-standing feud with the Bourke family, another prominent clan in County Mayo. This conflict is recorded in various historical accounts and manuscripts from that era.

Another notable figure with the surname Malley was Reverend Francis Malley, a Catholic priest who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for his efforts in preserving the Irish language and culture during a time of oppression against Catholics in Ireland.

In the 18th century, John Malley, a merchant and landowner from County Mayo, gained recognition for his business ventures and philanthropic contributions to the local community.

During the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Malley surname was Sir Hugh Malley, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of the Bath for his distinguished service.

The surname Malley has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Malleytown and Malleybrackey, further reflecting its historical roots and connections to specific regions within the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Malley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Malley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Malley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Malley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Malley, please contact us.

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