2000
#12,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Moroney
Derived from the Irish Ó Móráin, meaning "descendant of Mórán," a personal name meaning "great chieftain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,480 Americans carry the last name Moroney. That puts it at #13,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moroney 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 Moroney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,207
Census rank
#13,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,163 bearers of the surname Moroney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moroney
The surname Moroney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "O' Muirgheasain," which means "descendant of the navigator or mariner." It is believed that the name originated in County Mayo, Ireland, in the 16th century.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Muirgheas O'Muirgheasain, who was a prominent chieftain in County Mayo during the 15th century.
As the name evolved over time, various spellings emerged, such as O'Moroney, O'Murroghoe, and Morroghoe, before eventually settling on the modern form of Moroney. The variations in spelling were often influenced by local dialects and the interpretations of scribes and record-keepers.
One notable bearer of the Moroney name was Reverend Patrick Moroney, who lived from 1703 to 1783. He was a Catholic priest and educator in County Kerry, Ireland, and played a significant role in preserving Irish language and culture during the Penal Laws era, when Catholic education was suppressed.
Another prominent figure was John Moroney, born in 1822, who was a successful businessman and politician in New York City during the 19th century. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in the Irish-American community.
In the realm of literature, one can find references to the Moroney name in the works of renowned Irish writers, such as James Joyce's "Ulysses," where the character Myles Crawford is referred to as "Crawford Moroney."
Additionally, the name Moroney is closely associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Moroneymore and Moroney's Hill, both located in County Mayo. These place names serve as a testament to the historical presence and influence of the Moroney family in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the Moroney surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, soldiers, and statesmen. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation, its Irish roots and maritime connotations have remained an integral part of its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moroney
Among Census respondents with the surname Moroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Moroney 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 Moroney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,008
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 71
- Two or more races2.4% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moroney
Moroney 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
#13,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,276
+86 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 500 places
2020
#13,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,163
-113 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,883 | 2,190 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,383 | 2,276 | 0.77 | +86 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 500 places |
| 2020 | #13,457 | 2,163 | 0.72 | -113 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 74 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 Moroney 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 | #13,383 | #13,457 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,276 | 2,163 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.72 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moroney bearers went from 2,276 to 2,163 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,383 to #13,457.
FAQ
Moroney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moroney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,480 living Americans carry the surname Moroney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,207 residents.
How common is Moroney?
Moroney ranks #13,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,163 people with the surname Moroney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,480), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Moroney.
Has Moroney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moroney went from 2,276 recorded bearers to 2,163. That is a decrease of 113 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,383 to #13,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Moroney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moroney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Moroney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,008 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moroney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Moroney (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 Moroney mean?
Derived from the Irish Ó Móráin, meaning "descendant of Mórán," a personal name meaning "great chieftain." 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 Moroney (0.72 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 are called Moroney?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Moroney is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.