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

Maloy, 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 Maloy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maloy in America

Maloy is the 6664th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maloy surname appeared 5,068 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Maloy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maloy 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maloy

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

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 Maloy 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 Maloy 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 Maloy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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