NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmullan

Son of the bald or tonsured man, derived from the Gaelic "Maolán" meaning bald or tonsured.

In the 1881 census there were 321 people recorded with the Mcmullan surname, ranking it #9,277 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,166, ranked #2,985, up from #9,277 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Denny, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Anglesey, Harthill and Salsburgh and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmullan is 2,201 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 574.8%.

1881 census count

321

Ranked #9,277

Modern count

2,166

2016, ranked #2,985

Peak year

2014

2,201 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmullan had 321 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,277 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,166 in 2016, ranked #2,985.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 469 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmullan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcmullan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcmullan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmullan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 189 #10,896
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 321 #9,277
1891 historical 352 #9,781
1901 historical 469 #8,444
1911 historical 182 #15,859
1997 modern 1,877 #3,211
1998 modern 1,992 #3,167
1999 modern 2,006 #3,173
2000 modern 2,023 #3,138
2001 modern 2,001 #3,114
2002 modern 2,039 #3,126
2003 modern 2,009 #3,104
2004 modern 1,983 #3,140
2005 modern 1,986 #3,108
2006 modern 2,020 #3,061
2007 modern 2,042 #3,066
2008 modern 2,067 #3,053
2009 modern 2,137 #3,033
2010 modern 2,185 #3,040
2011 modern 2,152 #3,041
2012 modern 2,113 #3,031
2013 modern 2,162 #3,016
2014 modern 2,201 #2,984
2015 modern 2,180 #2,981
2016 modern 2,166 #2,985

Geography

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Where Mcmullans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Denny, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Anglesey, Harthill and Salsburgh, Suffolk Coastal, Carmarthenshire and Kirkshaws. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Denny Stirling
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Anglesey 003 Isle of Anglesey
2 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire
3 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
4 Carmarthenshire 001 Carmarthenshire
5 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmullan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcmullan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmullan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmullan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcmullan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmullan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcmullan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcmullan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmullan falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmullan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcmullan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcmullan

The surname McMullan is of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Mulán. This name is thought to have originated from the word mul, meaning "summit" or "hilltop." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" means "son of," indicating that this surname initially referred to a son of someone named Mulán.

The earliest recorded instances of the McMullan surname can be traced back to the 16th century in Scotland and Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John McMullan, who was recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of Scottish feudal documents that recorded acts of homage to King Edward I of England.

In Ireland, the McMullan surname was particularly prominent in counties Antrim and Down, where they were part of the Gallowglass, an elite group of Scottish and Irish mercenary warriors. The name is also associated with the Scottish Clan MacMillan, which held lands in Argyll and the Hebrides.

Notable individuals with the surname McMullan include Sir Pertab Singh McMullan (1837-1913), an Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Dewan of Patiala State. Another notable figure was John McMullan (1828-1879), an Irish-American journalist and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

In the realm of literature, Gregor McMullan (1895-1971) was a Scottish poet and novelist known for his works depicting life in the Highlands. Additionally, Frank McMullan (1909-1962) was an American writer and screenwriter who worked on films such as "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "The Fly."

The McMullan surname has also been associated with several places, such as McMullan's Cross in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which is believed to have been named after a local family. Similarly, McMullan's Townland in County Down, Ireland, likely derives its name from the same source.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmullan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmullan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 9 Mcmullans recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.51x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 9 33.51x
Lancashire 8 2.16x
Flintshire 6 71.51x
Lanarkshire 4 3.96x
Northumberland 4 8.62x
Durham 1 1.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northop Golftyn in Flintshire leads with 6 Mcmullans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6000.00x.

Place Total Index
Northop Golftyn 6 6000.00x
Cleator 5 446.43x
Kearsley 5 641.03x
Glasgow 4 22.32x
Longbenton 4 203.05x
Liverpool 3 13.34x
Whitehaven 2 139.86x
Workington 2 129.87x
Conside Knitsley 1 138.89x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcmullan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Elsie 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Suzan 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcmullan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 3
Hugh 2
Thomas 2
Henry 1
James 1
Robert 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcmullan households.

FAQ

Mcmullan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmullan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 321 people were recorded with the Mcmullan surname. That placed it at #9,277 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmullan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,166 in 2016. That gives Mcmullan a modern rank of #2,985.

What does the Mcmullan surname mean?

Son of the bald or tonsured man, derived from the Gaelic "Maolán" meaning bald or tonsured.

What does the Mcmullan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcmullan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.