NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulhearn

An anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Maolchairn meaning "descendant of a devotee of St. Ciarán".

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Mulhearn surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 395, ranked #11,991, up from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Perth and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Manchester and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulhearn is 428 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 194.8%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

395

2016, ranked #11,991

Peak year

2010

428 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulhearn had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016, ranked #11,991.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulhearn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulhearn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulhearn 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 193 #15,469
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 388 #11,612
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 404 #11,306
2001 modern 393 #11,366
2002 modern 405 #11,335
2003 modern 389 #11,490
2004 modern 399 #11,297
2005 modern 397 #11,250
2006 modern 389 #11,476
2007 modern 372 #12,032
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 404 #11,636
2010 modern 428 #11,352
2011 modern 405 #11,765
2012 modern 392 #11,898
2013 modern 401 #11,890
2014 modern 408 #11,830
2015 modern 399 #11,928
2016 modern 395 #11,991

Geography

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Where Mulhearns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Perth, Liverpool, Glasgow and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Manchester, Knowsley, Lochside and Lincluden and Liverpool. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Perth Perth
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 028 Tameside
2 Manchester 056 Manchester
3 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
4 Lochside and Lincluden Dumfries and Galloway
5 Liverpool 036 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulhearn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulhearn

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mulhearn is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mulhearn 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

Mulhearn 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 Mulhearn 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 Mulhearn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mulhearn

The surname Mulhearn originated in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is a variation of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Maolchairn," which translates to "descendant of a servant or devotee of St. Ciarán." The name is derived from the Irish word "maol," meaning tonsured or bald, and the name "Ciarán," a celebrated Irish saint known for founding several monasteries.

The Mulhearn surname was first recorded in County Galway, a region in the west of Ireland. It is believed that the family was initially based in the Connemara area, where they held lands and were regarded as a prominent clan.

One of the earliest written records of the name appears in the "Annals of the Four Masters," a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The annals mention a Mulhearn chieftain named Tadhg Ó Maolchairn, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 18th century, a notable figure named Eoghan Mulhearn (1725-1798) was a renowned Irish harpist and composer. He was born in County Sligo and is credited with preserving many traditional Irish melodies and songs.

During the 19th century, the Mulhearn family was well-established in counties Galway and Mayo. One notable member was Patrick Mulhearn (1823-1900), a Catholic priest and author who served as the Bishop of Dromore from 1879 until his death.

Another prominent individual was Michael Mulhearn (1856-1925), a journalist and politician from County Mayo. He was elected to the British House of Commons as an Irish Parliamentary Party member and played a role in the Irish Home Rule movement.

In the early 20th century, James Mulhearn (1891-1962) was a renowned Irish sculptor and artist. He was born in County Sligo and is known for his religious sculptures and public monuments, many of which can be found in Ireland and the United States.

While the Mulhearn surname originated in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the western counties of Ireland, where it first emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulhearn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulhearn 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. Lancashire leads with 41 Mulhearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 41 2.86x
Lanarkshire 24 6.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 14 79.95x
Yorkshire 12 1.00x
Cheshire 6 2.25x
Gloucestershire 5 2.11x
Renfrewshire 5 5.33x
Durham 3 0.83x
East Lothian 3 18.73x
Middlesex 2 0.17x
Oxfordshire 2 2.68x
Stirlingshire 2 4.48x
Sussex 2 0.98x
Devon 1 0.40x
Midlothian 1 0.62x
Northumberland 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 14 Mulhearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.06x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 14 16.06x
Troqueer 14 608.70x
Govan 13 13.44x
Manchester 10 15.49x
Toxteth Park 7 14.40x
Glasgow 6 8.64x
Runcorn 6 97.40x
Cheltenham 5 27.32x
Abbey 4 27.97x
Bradford 4 13.79x
Leeds 4 5.91x
Prescot 4 153.85x
Rawmarsh 3 70.92x
Barony 2 2.02x
Bolton 2 1428.57x
Coxhoe 2 196.08x
Hastings St Mary 2 39.45x
Old Monkland 2 12.89x
Oxford St Ebbe 2 90.91x
Stirling 2 35.59x
West Derby 2 4.76x
Armley 1 18.90x
Aspull 1 29.59x
Berwick North 1 89.29x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 8.77x
Crumpsall 1 29.59x
Eastwood 1 17.33x
Enfield 1 12.59x
Heap 1 13.14x
Kirknewton East 1 147.06x
Lidford 1 88.50x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 9.30x
Shettleston 1 28.57x
Westminster St John 1 6.79x
Westoe 1 4.90x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 4
William 4
James 3
John 3
Michael 3
Peter 3
Thomas 3
Andrew 2
Owen 2
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
Billy 1
Dennis 1
Domnick 1
Frank 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Michal 1
Wm.Henry 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 Mulhearn households.

FAQ

Mulhearn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulhearn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Mulhearn surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulhearn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016. That gives Mulhearn a modern rank of #11,991.

What does the Mulhearn surname mean?

An anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Maolchairn meaning "descendant of a devotee of St. Ciarán".

What does the Mulhearn map show?

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