An Irish surname, Mahony comes from the Gaelic term ‘mathuna’ which referred to a bear. Variations in spelling Mahony include O’Mahony, Mahoney and O’Mahoney. In Ireland most with the early Mahony and O’Mahony surname came from County Cork. In England the Mahony name is across most of the English region. Most are concentrated in Lancashire and Yorkshire, along with the city of London. The Scottish counties of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire have the greater Mahony populations. Within the United States the Mahony surname is primarily located in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, New Jersey and Ohio. Famous: Harold S. Mahony (an early tennis champion from Ireland), Philip Mahony (a professional hurler from Ireland), Leo H. Mahony (a renown American architect), Jerry Mahony (a professional auto racer from England), Chris Mahony (a professional rugby player from New Zealand), Eoghan Mahony (a television writer and producer) and Francis S. Mahony (a 19th century writer and Irish priest).