2000
#7,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Maroney
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Mearáin, meaning "descendant of Mearán," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,692 Americans carry the last name Maroney. That puts it at #7,782 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maroney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Maroney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,051
Census rank
#7,782
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,092 bearers of the surname Maroney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7782nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maroney
The surname Maroney has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in Ireland and Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Maroney" or "Maruney," which means "descendant of the little son." This name is thought to have originated in the County Mayo region of Ireland.
The earliest recorded instances of the Maroney surname can be traced back to the 17th century in Ireland. One of the earliest known references is found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which listed several Maroney families residing in County Mayo.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Maroneys migrated from Ireland to Scotland, where the name took on various spellings such as Maroney, Moroney, and Morony. Records from the Scottish Parish Registers of the 1700s show several Maroney families living in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Maroney surname was John Maroney, a Scottish poet and writer born in 1757 in Ayrshire. His works, including "Poems on Various Subjects" published in 1789, provide insights into the literary and cultural life of the time.
Another prominent individual was Patrick Maroney, an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several pivotal battles, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and was awarded the Military General Service Medal for his bravery.
In the 19th century, the Maroney surname gained recognition in the United States, where many Irish and Scottish immigrants settled. One notable figure was Michael Maroney, born in 1825 in County Mayo, Ireland. He later emigrated to New York City and became a prominent businessman and philanthropist, supporting various charitable causes within the Irish-American community.
Another individual of note was Thomas Maroney, born in 1867 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings, including the Maroney Building in San Francisco, which was considered a architectural marvel of its time.
As the Maroney family spread across different regions, variations in the spelling emerged, such as Moroney, Morooney, and Maroni. Despite these variations, the name's origins can be traced back to the Irish and Scottish roots, carrying a rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maroney
Among Census respondents with the surname Maroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Maroney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Maroney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 3,552
- Black or African American4.8% · 197
- Two or more races4.1% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maroney
Maroney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,390
+173 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 282 places
2020
#7,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,092
-298 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 214 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,286 | 4,217 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,568 | 4,390 | 1.49 | +173 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 282 places |
| 2020 | #7,782 | 4,092 | 1.37 | -298 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 214 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Maroney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,568 | #7,782 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,390 | 4,092 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.37 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maroney bearers went from 4,390 to 4,092 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 214 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,568 to #7,782.
FAQ
Maroney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maroney?
Name Census estimates that about 4,692 living Americans carry the surname Maroney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,051 residents.
How common is Maroney?
Maroney ranks #7,782 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,092 people with the surname Maroney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Maroney.
Has Maroney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maroney went from 4,390 recorded bearers to 4,092. That is a decrease of 298 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,568 to #7,782.
What does the Census say about the background of Maroney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Maroney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (3,552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maroney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Maroney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Maroney mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Mearáin, meaning "descendant of Mearán," a personal name of uncertain origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Maroney (1.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Maroney?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Maroney at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.