This article is about the surname. For other uses, see Molloy (disambiguation).
Molloy or O'Molloy is an Irish surname, anglicised from Ó Maolmhuaidh, maolmhuadh meaning 'Proud Chieftain'. (See also Malloy.) They were part of the southern Uí Néill, the southern branch of the large tribal grouping claiming descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the fifth-century king who supposedly kidnapped St Patrick to Ireland. They held power over a large part of what is now County Offaly, where the surname is still very common. A second family were the O Maoil Aodha, 'descendant of the devotee of (St) Aodh', from maol, literally 'bald', a reference to the distinctive tonsure sported by early Irish monks. As well as Molloy, this surname has also been anglicised as Mulloy, Malloy, Maloy, 'Miley' and 'Millea'. The name arose in east Connacht, in the Roscommon/east Galway region, and remains numerous there today.
Notable people with the surname include:
Aaron Molloy (1997), Irish footballer
Albin O'Molloy (died 1223), one of the bishops who officiated at the coronation of King Richard the Lionheart in England in 1189
Annie E. Molloy (1871–1928), American suffragist, labor leader
Anthony Molloy (disambiguation), several people
Bill Molloy (1929–2020), English footballer
Bobby Molloy, Irish politician
Charles Molloy (journalist) (died 1767), Irish journalist, political activist and minor playwright
Charles Molloy (lawyer) (1640–1690), Irish lawyer known as a writer on maritime law
Donald W. Molloy, American judge
Francie Molloy, Irish politician
Garret Molloy (played 1990s), Irish rugby player
Georgiana Molloy, early settler and botanical collector in Western Australia
Gerald Molloy, Irish theologian and scientist
Irene Molloy, American actress, singer and songwriter of Irish descent
Isobelle Molloy (born 2000), English actress
James Lynam Molloy (1837–1909), Irish composer and writer
Joanna Molloy, American gossip columnist
John Molloy, early settler in Western Australia
Leo Molloy, New Zealand businessman
Leonard Greenham Star Molloy, British Member of Parliament
Margaret Molloy, Irish businesswoman
Matt Molloy, Irish musician
Mick Molloy, Australian comedian, co-host of the Martin/Molloy radio program
Michael Joseph Molloy (M.J. Molloy), Irish playwright (1914-1994)
Mike Molloy, British journalist, newspaper editor, artist and author
Mitch Molloy (1965–2024), Canadian ice hockey player
Myra Molloy, Thai singer
Father Niall Molloy, a priest who died in mysterious circumstances in 1985
Ryan Molloy, British actor, singer and songwriter
Seaneen Molloy, Northern Irish blogger and writer
Sylvia Molloy, Argentine academic and writer
Sylvia Clark Molloy, British artist
Terry Molloy (born 1947), British actor
Thomas Molloy, Australian politician
Thomas B. Molloy, Canadian politician
Thomas Edmund Molloy, American Bishop of Brooklyn 1921–1956
W. Thomas Molloy, Canadian lawyer and land claim negotiator
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