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

Meloney, 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 Meloney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meloney in America

Meloney is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meloney surname appeared 159 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Meloney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meloney 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 Meloney

The surname Meloney has its origins in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland and Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "meallán," which means "small hilly place." This suggests that the name may have been used to identify people who lived in or near a hilly area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a person named Meallán Ó Duibhir, who was a member of the Ui Duibhir clan from County Donegal, Ireland, in the 13th century.

In Scotland, the name appears to have been concentrated in the Highlands and Islands regions. One notable example is John Meloney, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 during the Jacobite rising.

The Meloney surname can also be found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as parish registers and land deeds. For instance, a John Meloney is recorded as owning land in the parish of Kilmorie on the Isle of Arran in 1686.

Over the centuries, various spelling variations of the name emerged, including Melloney, Meloney, and Mulloney. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences in different regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Meloney include:

1. Patrick Meloney (c. 1780-1850), an Irish-American politician who served as the 23rd Mayor of New York City from 1828 to 1832.
2. Michael Meloney (1892-1962), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century.
3. Elizabeth Meloney (1907-1984), an American author and journalist known for her work on labor issues and social justice.
4. John Meloney (1923-2008), a Canadian lawyer and judge who served on the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
5. Caitlin Meloney (born 1990), an Australian actress and television presenter best known for her roles in the soap opera "Neighbours" and the drama series "The Gloaming."

While the Meloney surname has its roots in Ireland and Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and beyond, carried by generations of immigrants and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meloney

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

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

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

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