Moloney - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Maoldhomhnaigh
Meaning: “servant of the church”
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Limerick
Pronunciation: mul-OH-nee; Irish Ó Maoldhomhnaigh: oh mwale-GHOW-nee
History of the Moloney name
Moloney comes from Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, 'descendant of the devotee of the church', from maol (a tonsured servant) and domhnach (church, or the Lord's day). The sept belonged to east Clare, where they were long associated with the country around Tulla, and the name spread naturally into Tipperary and Limerick, the three counties where it is still most common. Unusually for a Gaelic surname, the O prefix has almost never been resumed. The many spellings, Moloney, Molony and Maloney among them, reflect nothing more than the whims of clerks and emigration officials, and all belong to the same stock.
Variants: Molony · Maloney · Molohney · O'Moloney
Famous bearers of the name
- Paddy Moloney - Uilleann piper and founder of The Chieftains, who carried Irish music worldwide.
- Mick Moloney - Limerick-born musician and folklorist who documented Irish-American musical life.
- Helena Molony - Abbey Theatre actress and republican who took part in the 1916 Rising.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Quinn · Collins · Fitzgerald · McDonnell · McMahon