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

Moriarty, 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 Moriarty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moriarty in America

Moriarty is the 3564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moriarty surname appeared 10,005 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Moriarty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moriarty 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 Moriarty

The surname Moriarty originates from Ireland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Muircheartach," which means "navigator" or "skilled seafarer." The name reflects the maritime heritage of the Moriarty clan, who were prominent in coastal regions of Ireland.

The Moriarty family was initially concentrated in the counties of Kerry, Cork, and Limerick, where they held significant landholdings and positions of influence. The name is closely associated with the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, a region renowned for its seafaring traditions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moriarty name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history dating back to the 12th century. The Annals mention several Moriarty clan members, including Muircheartach Ua Muircheartaigh, who was a prominent chieftain in the mid-12th century.

In the 16th century, the Moriarty clan played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Donal Moriarty, a rebel leader who fought alongside the Earl of Desmond, and Muircheartach Moriarty, a prominent landowner and military commander.

Over the centuries, the Moriarty name has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was John Moriarty (1938-2007), an Irish writer and philosopher known for his influential works on mysticism and the human condition.

Other notable Moriartys include Edna Moriarty (1923-2021), an Irish stage and screen actress who had a prolific career spanning over seven decades, and Michael Moriarty (born 1941), an American actor best known for his roles in films like "Bang the Drum Slowly" and the TV series "Law & Order."

In fiction, the name Moriarty is perhaps most famously associated with Professor James Moriarty, the brilliant and villainous adversary of Sherlock Holmes in the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This fictional character has become an iconic figure in the Sherlock Holmes mythology.

While the Moriarty surname has its roots firmly in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora. However, the name's connection to its Irish heritage and the legacy of the seafaring Moriarty clan remains strong.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moriarty

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!