Surname Monley - Meaning and Origin
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Monley: What does the surname Monley mean?
The last name “Monley” is one of many place name surnames. It originates from the Celtic language and has a few possible meanings.
One possible meaning of “Monley” is that it refers to a “hill” or “mound.” References to hills and mounds can be seen in other forms of the last name – which include Monley, Monleigh, Monly, and Moneley.
Another possible meaning is that “Monley” refers to a “mountain clearing.” The word “Monley” was derived from the Old French “ Mont ley,” meaning “hillside or mountain meadow.”
Finally, the last name “Monley” can also refer to a “fallow field.” The word “Monley” is thought to be derived from the Old English “mongel,” which also meant “fallow field.”
Given the various possible meanings of “Monley,” it is likely that those with that surname derive from one of these areas – hill, mountain clearing or fallow field. It’s also possible that the origin of “Monley” is a combination of all three of these.
Order DNA origin analysisMonley: Where does the name Monley come from?
The last name Monley is not terribly common today, but it does still exist. Its greatest concentration is in the United States, particularly in the midwestern states of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. It also appears in other parts of the U.S., in Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin, and other states.
Outside the U.S., the surname is occasionally seen in England, Canada, and France, though it is much less common in these areas. Monley is rarely seen in any other parts of the world, likely because fewer people traveled between the U.S. and those countries in the past.
The ultimate origin of the Monley surname is French, from the earlier Anglicized form of Montaignye. This suggests that many of the first Monleys in the U.S. were French-speaking settlers who immigrated from French Canada or France itself. It’s unknown when exactly the first Monleys arrived in the U.S., but it was likely some time during the 19th century.
Interestingly, Monley appears to have been a fairly popular surname among Native American tribes in the east, particularly the Iroquois. To this day, it is not uncommon to find Monleys with some degree of Native American ancestry, though this could be from more recent generations as well. All in all, Monley is a relatively uncommon but still widely scattered surname.
Variations of the surname Monley
The surname Monley has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Mallay, Molloy, Mulloy, Molloye, Mally, Monlea, and Monlee.
The variants of Monley stem from the Old Gaelic or Irish surname O'Maolmhuaidh. The prefix ‘O’ means ‘grandson of’, so the literal meaning of the name is ‘grandson of Maolmuaidh’. Maolmuaidh translates to “the devotee of the Church” or “Servant of the Church”.
There are many assumptions about the origin of the Monley surname. Some assume it could be Scottish in origin and point to the similarities of the Monley spelling with the Old English surname “Munelay” – a derivative of the Old English name “Munecaway”, meaning “man of the Church” or “devotee of the Church”.
Other believe the Monley surname could have stemmed from the French surname “Monleau”, derived from the Latin word “Monialis” which also means “Servant of the Church”. Another origin story suggests the Monley surname is Anglicised from the Irish Gaelic “O’ Mailmhuaidh” and there are many recorded spelling variations of this namesake which imply a French influence.
No matter the origin, the Monley surname has many different spellings and variants. It is also likely that there are many more which have been created over the years through variant spellings and different dialects.
Famous people with the name Monley
- Benedict Monley: English professional football player.
- Brook Monley: British-American actress, best known for her roles in adventurous and action films.
- Bertrand Monley: English-New Zealand film director, writer, and producer, best known for his Oscar-nominated films.
- Mack Monley: Australian cricketer who captained Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League.
- Guy Monley: English painter and sculptor, known for his abstract works.
- Lesley Monley: former Canadian political leader who twice served as leader of the federal Conservative Party.
- Lyndsey Monley: Australian radio and television presenter.
- Martha Monley: American biologist and teacher, best known for her research into plant biology and genetics.
- Shane Monley: Scottish footballer, former captain of Celtic F.C.
- Becky Monley: Canadian theater producer, best known for her extensive stage work throughout the 80s and 90s.