NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmullen

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Maolán," derived from the Gaelic name meaning "devotee of Saint John."

In the 1881 census there were 1,024 people recorded with the Mcmullen surname, ranking it #3,830 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,668, ranked #2,505, up from #3,830 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harrington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Dundyvan and Kirkshaws.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmullen is 2,760 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 160.5%.

1881 census count

1,024

Ranked #3,830

Modern count

2,668

2016, ranked #2,505

Peak year

2010

2,760 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmullen had 1,024 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,830 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,668 in 2016, ranked #2,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,324 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmullen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmullen 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 433 #5,664
1861 historical 413 #6,216
1881 historical 1,024 #3,830
1891 historical 976 #4,238
1901 historical 1,324 #3,783
1911 historical 1,084 #4,283
1997 modern 2,441 #2,577
1998 modern 2,573 #2,537
1999 modern 2,605 #2,531
2000 modern 2,618 #2,511
2001 modern 2,544 #2,523
2002 modern 2,636 #2,496
2003 modern 2,556 #2,509
2004 modern 2,514 #2,556
2005 modern 2,493 #2,543
2006 modern 2,543 #2,509
2007 modern 2,563 #2,512
2008 modern 2,607 #2,487
2009 modern 2,706 #2,460
2010 modern 2,760 #2,477
2011 modern 2,720 #2,478
2012 modern 2,637 #2,506
2013 modern 2,682 #2,505
2014 modern 2,709 #2,498
2015 modern 2,671 #2,516
2016 modern 2,668 #2,505

Geography

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Where Mcmullens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harrington, London parishes, Gateshead, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Dundyvan, Kirkshaws and Shawhead and Whifflet. 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 Harrington Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
3 Dundyvan North Lanarkshire
4 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
5 Shawhead and Whifflet North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmullen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmullen, 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 Mcmullen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmullen 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mcmullen is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcmullen is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmullen 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 Mcmullen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmullen

The surname McMullen has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Maoilìn," a pet form of the name "Maol," which means "tonsured" or "bald." The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a distinctive bald or tonsured appearance.

The McMullen name is believed to have first appeared in the Scottish counties of Argyll and Bute, where the earliest recorded bearers of the name lived. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list a Gillecrist McMullen as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, a branch of the McMullen family settled in the town of Kirkcudbright, located in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire. This area was known for its wool trade, and it is possible that some McMullens were involved in this industry.

Notable individuals with the McMullen surname include John McMullen (1835-1892), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament. Another prominent figure was Sir Pertab Singh McMullen (1892-1979), an Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Sind and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in the mid-20th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded McMullens was James McMullen (1760-1836), an Irish immigrant who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania. The name also appears in historical records related to the American Civil War, with several McMullens serving in both the Union and Confederate armies.

Other notable individuals include Horace McMullen (1853-1944), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, and Rafe McMullen (1897-1976), a Canadian actor and theater director who was active in the early 20th century.

Throughout its history, the McMullen surname has been spelled in various ways, including McMullin, McMullan, and McMillon, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and recording practices across different regions and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmullen 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 81 Mcmullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.12x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 81 55.12x
Lancashire 28 1.38x
Hertfordshire 15 12.75x
Durham 10 1.97x
Northumberland 10 3.94x
Dorset 9 8.03x
Surrey 5 0.60x
Denbighshire 4 6.20x
Berkshire 3 2.34x
Middlesex 3 0.18x
Cheshire 2 0.53x
Hampshire 2 0.57x
Isle of Man 1 3.15x
Kent 1 0.17x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harrington in Cumberland leads with 33 Mcmullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1864.41x.

Place Total Index
Harrington 33 1864.41x
Whitehaven 20 255.43x
Hertford St Andrew 13 896.55x
Wetheral 9 461.54x
Caldewgate 8 99.38x
Bishopwearmouth 6 13.76x
Manchester 6 6.59x
Croydon 5 10.83x
Liverpool 5 4.06x
Poole St James 5 118.76x
Tynemouth 5 36.76x
Workington 5 59.45x
Bishop Auckland 4 58.74x
Bridport 4 173.16x
Chirton 4 69.57x
Lancaster 4 33.20x
Salford 4 6.71x
Wrexham Regis 4 83.51x
Everton 3 4.65x
Kirkdale 3 8.81x
Reading St Giles 3 23.87x
Cleator 2 32.68x
Hertingfordbury 2 416.67x
Hethersgill 2 571.43x
St Marylebone London 2 2.19x
Accrington 1 5.43x
Chester St John Baptist 1 14.77x
Gillingham 1 8.33x
Hackney London 1 1.04x
Holdenhurst 1 10.89x
Hound 1 42.19x
Kirkby Ireleth 1 99.01x
Leeds 1 1.05x
Lymm 1 36.50x
Moss Side 1 9.38x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 29.94x
Onchan 1 10.95x
Parton 1 114.94x
West Newton Allonby 1 196.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Margt. 4
Ann 3
Bridget 3
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Barbare 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Adelaide 1
Barbara 1
Christina 1
Eleanor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Julia 1
Kites 1
M.L.A. 1
Martha 1
Sarrah 1
Sibylla 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcmullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,024 people were recorded with the Mcmullen surname. That placed it at #3,830 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,668 in 2016. That gives Mcmullen a modern rank of #2,505.

What does the Mcmullen surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Maolán," derived from the Gaelic name meaning "devotee of Saint John."

What does the Mcmullen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcmullen 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.