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Irish surname

Moroney: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Maolruanaidh · 'descendant of Maolruanaidh' (follower of Ruanaidh)

Woulfe (1923) prints Moroney among the anglicised forms of Ó Maolruanaidh, 'descendant of Maolruanaidh'. He says a Dalcassian family of that name are 'still numerous in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, where however, the name is corrupted to Ó Murruanaidh and anglicised Moroney'; his separate entry Ó Morruanaidh calls it 'a corruption of Ó Maolruanaidh'. The same Irish name was borne by other families in Fermanagh, Galway and Roscommon. In 1890 Moroney births were found principally in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.

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Coat of arms associated with the Moroney surname
Irish formÓ Maolruanaidh
Meaning'descendant of Maolruanaidh' (follower of Ruanaidh)
CountiesClare, Limerick, Tipperary
Other spellings7

Origin of the Moroney name

Woulfe lists four families of Ó Maolruanaidh: (1) lords of Fermanagh before the Maguires; (2) chiefs of Crumhthan (Cruffan) in Galway; (3) a Dalcassian family 'still numerous in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, where however, the name is corrupted to Ó Murruanaidh and anglicised Moroney'; (4) a Roscommon family who adopted the surname Mac Diarmada (MacDermott).[1][2]

  1. 1189Four Masters: O'Mulrony, Lord of Fermanagh, driven from his lordship and later killed.[6]
  2. 189044 birth entries including spelling varieties (35 spelled Moroney); 41 in Munster.[3][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClareDalcassian Ó Maolruanaidh family, anglicised Moroney; first of the principal counties in 1890.[1][2][3]
Co. LimerickNamed by Woulfe and by Matheson's 1890 births index for Moroney.[1][2][3]
Co. TipperaryNamed by Woulfe and by Matheson's 1890 births index for Moroney.[1][2][3]

Other spellings

O Moronie · Morooney · Murroney · Moroony · Morroney · Mulrooney · Mulrony[1][2]

The Moroney coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Moroney surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Moroney crest gifts

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Moroney surname: questions

What does the surname Moroney mean?

Woulfe gives Moroney as a form of Ó Maolruanaidh, 'descendant of Maolruanaidh' (follower of Ruanaidh). His entry Ó Morruanaidh calls that form 'a corruption of Ó Maolruanaidh', common in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Moroney name from?

Woulfe says a Dalcassian family of Ó Maolruanaidh are still numerous in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, where the name is anglicised Moroney. In 1890 there were 44 birth entries for Moroney including spelling varieties (35 spelled Moroney), 41 of them in Munster, principally in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.[1][3][5]

Are Moroney and Mulrooney the same name?

Woulfe prints both as anglicised forms of Ó Maolruanaidh, but ties the Moroney spelling to the Dalcassian family of Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. He lists other Ó Maolruanaidh families in Fermanagh, Galway and Roscommon as separate families.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Maolruanaidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maolruanaidh.php
  2. Ó Morruanaidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-morruanaidh.php
  3. Moroney — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/moroney.php
  4. Moroney (list no. 1555) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1555.php
  5. Table Explanation (Birth Indexes of 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters, M1189.7 (tr. John O'Donovan), CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text002.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).