2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Momaney
A variant spelling of the French surname Mommené, derived from a topographic description of raised ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Momaney. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Momaney 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Momaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Momaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Momaney
The surname MOMANEY has its origins in the Gaelic language and can be traced back to the ancient regions of Ireland and Scotland. The name is derived from the old Gaelic words "moman" and "ey," which translate to "small shrubbery" and "island," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a person or family that resided on a small, shrub-covered island.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname MOMANEY can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. The annals mention a clan leader named Cormac MOMANEY, who played a significant role in the clashes between the O'Neills and the MacDonnells in the late 1400s.
During the 16th century, the MOMANEY surname gained prominence in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Historical records from this period mention a prominent figure named Angus MOMANEY, who was a chieftain of the MacGregors and fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation.
In the 17th century, the MOMANEY name appeared in various parish records and land registries across Ireland and Scotland. One notable individual was Sorcha MOMANEY, a renowned healer and midwife from County Donegal, who was widely respected for her expertise in traditional medicine.
The 18th century saw the MOMANEY surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, with a few notable figures emerging. One such individual was William MOMANEY, a successful merchant and shipowner from Glasgow, who contributed significantly to the city's thriving trade with the Americas.
As the centuries progressed, the MOMANEY name continued to be represented in various fields, from academia to the arts. In the 19th century, a scholar named Robert MOMANEY made significant contributions to the study of Celtic languages and literature, publishing several influential works on the subject.
Throughout history, the MOMANEY surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each leaving their mark on the cultural and historical fabric of the regions they called home.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Momaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Momaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Momaney 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 Momaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 85
- Two or more races7.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Momaney
Momaney appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 363 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 363 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 Momaney 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 | #154,907 | #155,270 | -0.2% |
| Count | 105 | 101 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Momaney bearers went from 105 to 101 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 363 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #155,270.
FAQ
Momaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Momaney?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Momaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Momaney?
Momaney ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Momaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Momaney.
Has Momaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Momaney went from 105 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #154,907 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Momaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Momaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%). 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 Momaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Momaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Two or More Races (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%). 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 Momaney (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 Momaney mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Mommené, derived from a topographic description of raised ground. 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 Momaney (0.03 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 many people share the surname Momaney?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.