Show ContentsMaloney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Before Irish names were translated into English, Maloney had a Gaelic form of Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, which means descendant of a servant of the Church. [1]

Early Origins of the Maloney family

The surname Maloney was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where O'Moloney, "were chiefs of Cuiltenan, now the parish of Kiltonanlea, in the barony of Tulla." [2]

Early History of the Maloney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maloney research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1690, 1709, 1726, 1865, 1900, 1925, 1937, 1949 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Maloney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maloney Spelling Variations

Irish names recorded during the Middle Ages are characterized by many spelling variations. This preponderance of variations for common names can be explained by the fact that the scribes and church officials that kept records during that period individually decided how to capture one's name. These recorders primarily based their decisions on how the name was pronounced or what it meant. Research into the name Maloney revealed many variations, including Molony, Maloney, O'Maloney, O'Molony, MacLoughney and many more.

Early Notables of the Maloney family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Father Donough O'Molony who was tortured to death in 1601. John Mullowney (c. 1690-1726) was born in Derrew, near Ballyheane, County Mayo who began his career as a horse thief and was sentenced to death in Castlebar in his youth. The Grand Jury made a deal with him in which...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maloney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maloney World Ranking

In the United States, the name Maloney is the 1,134th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. [3] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Maloney is ranked the 228th most popular surname with an estimated 191 people with that name. [4] And in Australia, the name Maloney is the 636th popular surname with an estimated 6,146 people with that name. [5]


United States Maloney migration to the United States +

A great wave of Irish migration occurred during the 19th century as a direct result of English colonial rule and tight-fisted absentee landlords. Many of these Irish immigrants boarded passenger ships bound for North America. Those who migrated early enough were given land in either British North America or the United States; those who came in the late 19th century were typically employed in industrial centers as laborers. At whatever age they undertook the dangerous passage to North America, those Irish immigrants were essential to the speedy development of the two infant nations to which they arrived, whether they broke and settled land, helped build canals, bridges, and railroads, or produced products for consumer consumption. An examination of immigration and passenger lists has uncovered a large number of immigrants bearing the name Maloney or one of its variants:

Maloney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Maloney, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 [6]
  • William Maloney, who arrived in New York in 1834 [6]
  • Lawrence Maloney, who arrived in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1840 [6]
  • David Maloney, aged 29, who landed in Missouri in 1849 [6]
  • John Maloney, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Maloney Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Con Maloney, who landed in Mississippi in 1902 [6]
  • Francis Maloney, who arrived in Mississippi in 1902 [6]

Canada Maloney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maloney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Patrick Maloney, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Peter Maloney, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Alexander Maloney, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Andrew Maloney, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland about 1782 [7]
  • Mr. John Maloney U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association [8]
Maloney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Maloney from County Tipperary, Ireland was married in St. John's in 1808
  • Jos Maloney, who landed in Canada in 1820
  • Mr. Arthur Maloney, aged 5 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Naomi" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [9]
  • Mr. Brady Maloney, aged 16 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Yeoman" but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [9]
  • Mrs. Catherine Maloney, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Virginius" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Maloney migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Maloney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Maloney, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [10]
  • Mr. James Maloney, (b. 1795), aged 32, Irish farm servant who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for life for abduction, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • Mr. James Maloney, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [12]
  • Miss Mary Maloney, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [13]
  • Mr. James Maloney who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [14]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Maloney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Maloney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Maloney, (b. 1829), aged 29, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th March 1859 [15]
  • John Maloney, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 [16]
  • Marie Maloney, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 [16]
  • Hannah Maloney, aged 16, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 [16]
  • Bridget Maloney, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 [16]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Maloney (post 1700) +

  • Andrew J. Maloney (1931-2022), American attorney, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1986 to 1992
  • Edward T. Maloney (1928-2016), American aviation historian and museum curator
  • Francis Thomas Maloney (1894-1945), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Connecticut from 1933 to 1935
  • Kristen Maloney (b. 1981), American bronze medalist gymnast at the 2000 Olympic Games
  • Franklin J. Maloney (1899-1958), American politician from Pennsylvania, U.S. Representative
  • Charles Garrett Maloney (1913-2006), American Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Louisville, Kentucky
  • Carolyn B. Maloney (b. 1948), American politician, U.S. Representative for New York's 14th congressional district
  • Frank Richard Maloney (b. 1945), American writer and poet
  • Thomas E. Maloney, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories
  • Philip Francis Anthony "Phil" Maloney (1927-2020), Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach from Ottawa, Ontario
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Thomas Maloney, British Petty Office Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [17]
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Colin Maloney, British Air Mechanician, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [18]
SS Atlantic
  • Catherine Maloney, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
  • Thomas Maloney, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Victoria steamboat disaster
  • Delia Maloney, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  8. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  9. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 41)
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. Archives New Zealand Micro 5019. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Alfred. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Alfred1864.htm
  17. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  18. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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