The Mooney surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 33,555 people carried this name — #1,033 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,790 people counted. That is up 2% from 32,953 in 2000.

See Mooney on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Mooney surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Maonaigh (“descendant of Maonach”), a personal name derived from maoineach (“rich, wealthy; precious, beloved”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Mooney» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 136 births for the Mooney name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 6,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 77
Ulster 38
Connacht 12
Munster 9

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 79 people named Mooney live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 36
City of Buenos Aires 26
Córdoba 17

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 20 people named Mooney.

Most of them — 13 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Eure.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 13
Eure 2
Val-d’Oise 2
Drôme 1
Indre-et-Loire 1
Pyrénées-Atlantiques 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

41 people named Mooney is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 41

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

Mooney was recorded 63 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 424th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 103. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

43 families named Mooney, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 234 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 12
Pennsylvania 12
North Carolina 9
New Hampshire 5
Virginia 3
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 254 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Mooney in American newspapers,
1863–1920.

Newspaper page from Hammond Gazette carrying the name Mooney
Hammond Gazette 1863-12-16
Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Mooney
The Tacoma Times 1918-06-12
Newspaper page from The Milwaukee Leader carrying the name Mooney
The Milwaukee Leader 1920-07-08

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 195,587 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Mooney in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

54,809 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mooney. The most, 8,966, date from the 1930s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 22,022
Victoria 11,104
Queensland 10,941
Western Australia 4,601
South Australia 3,391
Tasmania 2,383
ACT (Canberra) 244
Northern Territory 37

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mooney.

Who carried it

People named Mooney,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edward L. Mooney
    Edward L. Mooney 1813–1887 · painter
  • Thomas Mooney
    Thomas Mooney 1840– · politician
  • William Crittenden Mooney
    William Crittenden Mooney 1855–1918 · politician
  • James Mooney
    James Mooney 1861–1921 · writer
  • Granville W. Mooney
    Granville W. Mooney 1868–1931 · teacher

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 246 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mooney,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States8,765 records

8,765 records of the Mooney name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,641
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 2,392
  • Other U.S. records 3,732
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Fred Mooney

    Born 1934; from Northup, Ohio. U.S. Army, armor reconnaissance specialist; killed in action 1971 in Laos. Buried at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, Killeen, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Artie Mooney

    Born 1903 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Sam Houston; porter from Bexar County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1954, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Mooney

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Liverpool, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 8,765 records for Mooney in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,808 records

1,808 records of the Mooney name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 775
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 301
  • Other Australian records 732
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elizabeth Mooney

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the St Vincent, sailing from London in 1849. Native of Liverpool, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852. Married 1852 in Brighton, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Ann Mooney

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Mooney

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Sorata, aged 21; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,808 records for Mooney in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada253 records

253 records of the Mooney name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 153
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 29
  • Other Canadian records 71
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Susan M. Mooney

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 60; buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Peter Mooney

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the N. Scotian, bound for Thornhill, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Muriel Maud Mooney

    Buried in 1977 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 93.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 253 records for Mooney in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom46 records

46 records of the Mooney name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • Stirling Council burial records 18
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Brown Mooney

    Died 1993, aged 73; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Mooney

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 45.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Mooney

    Lance Corporal, Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 46 records for Mooney in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand36 records

36 records of the Mooney name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 33
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leo Bernard Mooney

    Died 1994, aged 75; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Mooney

    Buried in 1872 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 76.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Mooney

    Died 1917, aged 70; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 36 records for Mooney in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland20 records

20 records of the Mooney name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martin Mooney

    Died 1880, aged 75; buried at Drumacoo, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Honoria Mooney

    Died 1962, aged 62; buried at Killogilleen, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret M. Mooney

    Died 1961; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Mooney in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Mooney name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeannine Paule Blanche Mooney

    Born 1933 in Cormeilles-en-Parisis (Val-d'Oise); died 1999 in Pont-Audemer (Eure).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Lawson Bernard Mooney

    Born 1922 in the United States; died 1998 in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Mooney in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Mooney name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Maria Elisabeth Mooney

    In the population register of Simpelveld; born 1867 in Simpelveld.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Mooney in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Norway2 records

2 records of the Mooney name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Clara Mooney

    Census of 1910: Nils Juelsgate, Kristiania; born 1864 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Mooney in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mooney.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mooney is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Mooney volume
Scroll to Top