Clooney: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Clooney comes from the Irish surname Ó Cluanaigh, “descendant of Cluanach,” a name meaning “beguiling.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Gender
- Boy
How do you pronounce Clooney?
Clooney is pronounced KLOO-nee. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Clooney mean?
Clooney is an Irish surname used as a first name. It is an anglicized form of Ó Cluanaigh, “descendant of Cluanach,” an old surname of South Leinster. The Irish adjective cluanach means “deceitful, beguiling, flattering,” the source of the playful reading “rogue.” It comes from cluain in the sense “deception, flattery,” a different word from cluain “meadow,” though the two are spelled alike.
Several places in County Clare called Clooney have the Irish name Cluaine. The best-known bearers of the surname are the American singer Rosemary Clooney and her nephew, the actor George Clooney.
Sources: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), Wikipedia.
How popular is Clooney in Ireland?
Clooney is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.
Clooney in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Clooney, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- LLuis, rowan
- OOnn, gorse
- OOnn, gorse
- NNion, ash
- EEadhadh, aspen
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Clooney
Questions about Clooney
- How do you pronounce Clooney?
- Clooney is pronounced KLOO-nee. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- Is Clooney a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Clooney is a boy's name.
- Is Clooney a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Clooney in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.