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Irish surname

O'Malley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Máille · 'descendant of Máille' (perhaps Old Celtic Maglios, chief)

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Malley and Malley as anglicised forms of Ó Máille, 'descendant of Máille', the name of a Connacht family who were chiefs of the two Umhalls in the west of Co. Mayo and were celebrated as naval commanders, and of a Thomond family near Limerick. In the 1890 births index Malley was found chiefly in Mayo and Galway, and O'Malley chiefly in Mayo. Grace O'Malley (1530?–1600?), whom Viceroy Sydney called 'a most famous feminine sea captain', bore the name.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Malley surname
Irish formÓ Máille
Meaning'descendant of Máille' (perhaps Old Celtic Maglios, chief)
CountiesMayo, Galway, Limerick
Other spellings6

Origin of the O'Malley name

Woulfe names two families of Ó Máille: (1) a Connacht family, chiefs of the two Umhalls, now the baronies of Burrishoole and Murresk in west Mayo, 'particularly celebrated as naval commanders' with 'a considerable fleet always under their command'; and (2) a Thomond family, chiefs of Tuath Luimnigh, near the city of Limerick.[1]

  1. 10th centuryThe variant Ó Maele was in use in Conmaicne.[1]
  2. 1576Viceroy Sydney records 'Grany I-Mallye' offering him three galleys and 200 men.[7]
  3. 1577Grace O'Malley taken prisoner by the Earl of Desmond on an expedition to Kerry.[7]
  4. 1593Grace O'Malley sails in her own galley to Queen Elizabeth at Westminster.[7]
  5. 1690'O MALLY' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[5]
  6. 189085 Malley births registered (incl. varieties): 62 in Mayo, 14 in Galway.[2][6]
  7. 189030 O'Malley births registered (incl. varieties), 16 of them in Mayo.[3][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. MayoThe Umhalls (Burrishoole and Murresk baronies); 62 Malley and 16 O'Malley entries in Mayo in 1890.[1][2][3]
Co. Galway14 Malley entries in Galway in the 1890 births index; Melia found chiefly in Galway.[2][4]
Co. LimerickA Thomond Ó Máille family were chiefs of Tuath Luimnigh, near the city of Limerick.[1]

Notable people named O'Malley

Grace O'Malley (Graine Ui Maille)1530?–1600?Daughter of Dubhdara O'Malley of Murrisk, Co. Mayo; Viceroy Sydney called her 'a most famous feminine sea captain'.[8][7]
Rev. Thaddeus O'Malleyc. 1796–1877Priest who called himself 'The Father of Federalism in Ireland'; publicly backed the Home Rule movement Butt began in 1870.[9]

Other spellings

Malley · O'Meally · O'Mealy · Meally · Melly · Melia[1]

The O'Malley coat of arms

The name appears as 'O MALLY' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named O'Malley is entitled to a coat of arms.[5]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Malley 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.

O'Malley crest gifts

Clan Omalley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap BT89 Omalley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Omalley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Malley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap XJ48 Malley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Malley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Omalley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapVJ26 Classic Cap - Omalley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Omalley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Malley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPI74 Classic Cap - Malley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Malley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

O'Malley surname: questions

What does the surname O'Malley mean?

Woulfe gives O'Malley as a form of Ó Máille, 'descendant of Máille', and says Máille is perhaps the Old Celtic Maglios, 'chief'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the O'Malley name from?

Woulfe says the Connacht Ó Máille family were chiefs of the two Umhalls, the baronies of Burrishoole and Murresk in the west of Co. Mayo. In 1890 Malley births were found chiefly in Mayo (62) and Galway (14), and O'Malley births chiefly in Mayo (16). A separate family were chiefs of Tuath Luimnigh near Limerick.[1][2]

Why were the O'Malleys known as seafarers?

Woulfe says the Connacht O'Malleys were 'particularly celebrated as naval commanders, being called the Manannans, or sea-gods, of the western ocean', with a considerable fleet always under their command.[1]

Who was Grace O'Malley?

The Dictionary of National Biography gives her dates as 1530?–1600? and calls her the daughter of Dubhdara O'Malley, chieftain of the territory that is now the barony of Murrisk, Co. Mayo. Webb quotes Viceroy Sydney calling her 'a most famous feminine sea captain' in 1576, and says that in 1593 she sailed in one of her own galleys to visit Queen Elizabeth at Westminster.[8][7]

Is Melia the same name as O'Malley?

Woulfe says Ó Máille is 'often strangely anglicised Melia in Connacht', perhaps because Ó Maele was formerly a popular variant.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Máille — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maille.php
  2. Malley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/malley.php
  3. O'Malley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/omalley.php
  4. Melia — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/melia.php
  5. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  6. 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
  7. Grace O'Malley — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/GraceOMalley.php
  8. O'Malley, Grace — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 (Norman Moore), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  9. Thaddeus O'Malley — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThaddeusOMalley.php

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