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

Molloy, 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 Molloy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molloy in America

Molloy is the 4868th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molloy surname appeared 7,238 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 Molloy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molloy 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 Molloy

The surname Molloy originated in Ireland, likely emerging sometime in the Middle Ages. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "O'Maolmhuaidh," which means "descendant of a devotee of St. Maolmhuaidh." The prefix "O'" indicates a male descendant, while "Maolmhuaidh" refers to a saint who lived during the 6th century.

The Molloy clan was historically based in County Offaly, a region in central Ireland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish annals and records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which mention several prominent members of the Molloy family during the 14th and 15th centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Molloy surname was Tadhg O'Maolmhuaidh, a renowned Irish poet and scholar who lived in the late 14th century. He was a member of the esteemed bardic family of Clann O'Maolmhuaidh, who were renowned for their literary contributions.

Another notable figure was Terence Molloy, a Franciscan friar who lived in the 17th century. He was a prominent theologian and philosopher, and his works were widely circulated throughout Europe during the Renaissance period.

In the 18th century, Charles Molloy, an Irish lawyer and judge, gained recognition for his legal writings and contributions to the development of Irish law. His treatise "De Jure Maritimo et Navali" (On Maritime and Naval Law) was highly regarded in its time.

During the 19th century, Joseph Molloy, an Irish-born artist and illustrator, made a significant impact in the world of art. He was known for his detailed depictions of rural life in Ireland and contributed illustrations to several notable publications.

Another notable individual was William Molloy, an Irish-born American politician who served as the 37th Governor of Connecticut from 1907 to 1909. He was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and played a role in shaping the state's political landscape during his tenure.

While the surname Molloy has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly due to Irish emigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic name O'Maolmhuaidh and the historical clan that bore this name in County Offaly.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molloy

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

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

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

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