NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulhern

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maoilchiaráin," meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint Ciarán."

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Mulhern surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 792, ranked #6,979, up from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Govan Combination and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, South Kesteven and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulhern is 798 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 319.0%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

792

2016, ranked #6,979

Peak year

2014

798 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulhern had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 792 in 2016, ranked #6,979.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 219 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulhern surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulhern surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulhern 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 179 #16,198
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 111 #21,392
1997 modern 643 #7,719
1998 modern 692 #7,552
1999 modern 698 #7,533
2000 modern 674 #7,717
2001 modern 662 #7,683
2002 modern 691 #7,589
2003 modern 669 #7,666
2004 modern 682 #7,563
2005 modern 679 #7,526
2006 modern 706 #7,301
2007 modern 702 #7,405
2008 modern 720 #7,322
2009 modern 745 #7,289
2010 modern 787 #7,124
2011 modern 772 #7,149
2012 modern 764 #7,126
2013 modern 775 #7,152
2014 modern 798 #7,015
2015 modern 788 #7,016
2016 modern 792 #6,979

Geography

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Where Mulherns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, South Kesteven, Wakefield, Coventry and Kilbarchan. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 034 Manchester
2 South Kesteven 011 South Kesteven
3 Wakefield 044 Wakefield
4 Coventry 029 Coventry
5 Kilbarchan Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulhern

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulhern

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

Mulhern 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

Mulhern falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mulhern 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 Mulhern, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mulhern

The surname Mulhern originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Maolchairn, which means "descendant of the devotee of St. Cairn." The name is rooted in the Irish language and culture, with Cairn being the name of an Irish saint.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in County Sligo, Ireland. The Mulhern family was prominent in this region, and the name appears in various historical documents and records from that time period.

One notable historical reference is the inclusion of the name in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The Annals mention several individuals with the surname Mulhern, indicating their involvement in various events and conflicts during that era.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mulhern surname began to spread beyond County Sligo as families migrated to other parts of Ireland and eventually to other countries. Some variations in spelling, such as Mulhearn and Mulheran, emerged during this time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Mulhern. One example is John Mulhern (1834-1905), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York in the late 19th century.

Another prominent figure is Brendan Mulhern (1910-1987), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the County Sligo team in the 1930s and 1940s. He was a key member of the team that won the Connacht Senior Football Championship in 1946.

In the literary world, Kathleen Mulhern (1915-2006) was an American author and poet known for her works exploring themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience. Her poetry collections include "The Deer on the Altar" and "Passage to Avalon."

James Mulhern (1844-1925) was an Irish-born Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia in the late 19th century.

Finally, Michael Mulhern (1935-2020) was an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team in the 1950s and 1960s. He won an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medal with Galway in 1958.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulhern families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulhern 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. Lanarkshire leads with 33 Mulherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.39x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 33 5.39x
Renfrewshire 24 16.37x
Angus 22 12.55x
Lancashire 22 0.98x
Midlothian 15 5.92x
Yorkshire 12 0.64x
Essex 10 2.68x
Middlesex 10 0.53x
Dunbartonshire 9 17.70x
Warwickshire 9 1.89x
Durham 6 1.07x
Isle of Man 6 17.07x
Stirlingshire 6 8.60x
Hampshire 5 1.29x
Leicestershire 3 1.43x
Cheshire 1 0.24x
Kent 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Mulherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.80x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 15 13.80x
Barony 13 8.39x
Dundee 12 18.34x
Port Glasgow 12 169.25x
Liff Benvie 10 37.58x
West Ham 10 12.13x
Spotland 9 36.06x
Warwick St Mary 9 217.39x
Bow London 7 29.06x
Old Kilpatrick 7 116.47x
Conside Knitsley 6 136.99x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 6 340.91x
Onchan 6 59.29x
Stirling 6 68.18x
York Minster Yard W 6 1363.64x
Brightside Bierlow 5 13.59x
Newton 5 588.24x
Portsea 5 6.58x
West Greenock 5 19.00x
Liverpool 4 2.93x
Paisley Low Church 4 86.21x
Leicester St Mary 3 17.70x
Middle Greenock 3 75.00x
Accrington 2 9.80x
Blantyre 2 31.40x
Bonhill 2 24.51x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 5.61x
Corstorphine 2 142.86x
Maryhill 2 16.69x
St Pancras London 2 1.31x
Bothwell 1 6.02x
Bradford 1 9.51x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.87x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 14.86x
Cheetham 1 5.97x
Chester St Oswald 1 13.23x
Dalkeith 1 20.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.98x
Garston 1 15.08x
Nether Hallam 1 3.94x
Paddington London 1 1.44x
Pendleton In Salford 1 3.74x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Mulhern surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulhern surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Mulhern surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulhern surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 792 in 2016. That gives Mulhern a modern rank of #6,979.

What does the Mulhern surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maoilchiaráin," meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint Ciarán."

What does the Mulhern map show?

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