NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulholland

A toponymic surname of Irish origin, derived from a place name meaning "the hill of the holly bush."

In the 1881 census there were 1,118 people recorded with the Mulholland surname, ranking it #3,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,569, ranked #1,489, up from #3,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uddingston and Gardenside, Arran and Moodiesburn West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulholland is 4,597 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 308.7%.

1881 census count

1,118

Ranked #3,568

Modern count

4,569

2016, ranked #1,489

Peak year

2014

4,597 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulholland had 1,118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,569 in 2016, ranked #1,489.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,552 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulholland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulholland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulholland 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 364 #6,509
1861 historical 555 #4,747
1881 historical 1,118 #3,568
1891 historical 1,337 #3,259
1901 historical 1,552 #3,320
1911 historical 968 #4,673
1997 modern 4,020 #1,612
1998 modern 4,152 #1,625
1999 modern 4,159 #1,636
2000 modern 4,169 #1,625
2001 modern 4,069 #1,626
2002 modern 4,234 #1,582
2003 modern 4,111 #1,594
2004 modern 4,200 #1,572
2005 modern 4,169 #1,562
2006 modern 4,228 #1,546
2007 modern 4,289 #1,539
2008 modern 4,319 #1,538
2009 modern 4,434 #1,535
2010 modern 4,559 #1,527
2011 modern 4,497 #1,528
2012 modern 4,413 #1,524
2013 modern 4,523 #1,518
2014 modern 4,597 #1,505
2015 modern 4,539 #1,507
2016 modern 4,569 #1,489

Geography

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Where Mulhollands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uddingston and Gardenside, Arran, Moodiesburn West, Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig and Toryglen and Oatlands. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uddingston and Gardenside South Lanarkshire
2 Arran North Ayrshire
3 Moodiesburn West North Lanarkshire
4 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde
5 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulholland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulholland

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

Mulholland is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mulholland

The surname Mulholland has its origins in Ireland, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Maol Choluim, meaning "descendant of the tonsured servant of Colum." The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 12th century in the Annals of Ulster, where it appeared as Ó Mailcholuim.

Mulholland is a name closely associated with County Antrim in Northern Ireland, particularly the area around the town of Ballycastle. The name has also been historically prominent in County Down. In the 16th century, the Mulhollands were among the leading families of the McDonnell Clan, playing a significant role in the clan's feuds and conflicts.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, which mentions a Niall Ó Mailcholuim who was slain in a battle in 1333. The Mulholland name also appears in the 1659 Census of Ireland, listing several families in Counties Antrim and Down.

Notable figures bearing the Mulholland surname include:

1. Sir Samuel Mulholland (1815-1885), a prominent Belfast businessman and philanthropist, who served as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1864.

2. Hugh Mulholland (1788-1861), an Irish-born American engineer who oversaw the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, which brought water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles in the early 20th century.

3. William Mulholland (1855-1935), an Irish-American engineer and the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Aqueduct project, often referred to as the "Father of the Los Angeles Water Supply System."

4. John Mulholland (1898-1970), an American magician and writer who authored several books on magic and was a technical advisor on several Hollywood films involving magic and illusions.

5. Michael Mulholland (born 1989), an Irish professional golfer who has won several tournaments on the European Tour and represented Ireland in the 2016 Olympics.

The surname Mulholland has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Mulholland, a small village in County Down, and Mulholland Townland, located in County Antrim.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulholland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulholland 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 358 Mulhollands recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.20x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 358 10.20x
Lancashire 195 1.51x
Durham 74 2.29x
Renfrewshire 60 7.13x
Dunbartonshire 51 17.48x
Middlesex 45 0.41x
Cumberland 42 4.49x
Yorkshire 36 0.33x
Ayrshire 31 3.82x
Northumberland 26 1.61x
Cheshire 23 0.96x
Hampshire 22 0.99x
Angus 19 1.89x
Kirkcudbrightshire 18 11.45x
Midlothian 15 1.03x
Stirlingshire 15 3.75x
Leicestershire 13 1.08x
Buteshire 10 15.20x
Surrey 9 0.17x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.70x
Kent 7 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.48x
Perthshire 5 1.03x
Argyllshire 4 1.32x
West Lothian 4 2.45x
Lincolnshire 3 0.17x
Royal Navy 2 1.55x
Warwickshire 2 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.12x
Caithness 1 0.67x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.42x
Fife 1 0.16x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Northamptonshire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 126 Mulhollands recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.18x.

Place Total Index
Barony 126 14.18x
Glasgow 91 14.60x
Govan 91 10.48x
Liverpool 47 6.01x
Eastwood 26 50.17x
Toxteth Park 20 4.58x
Kirkintilloch 18 45.41x
Great Crosby 17 48.41x
Old Monkland 16 11.48x
Bishop Auckland 14 32.31x
Rutherglen 14 27.18x
Birkenhead 13 6.80x
Loughborough 13 23.80x
Salford 12 3.17x
Everton 11 2.68x
Barrow In Furness 10 5.71x
Cardross 10 28.55x
Dundee 10 2.66x
Slamannan 10 45.60x
East Greenock 9 11.33x
Garston 9 23.67x
Kilmarnock 9 9.31x
Liff Benvie 9 5.89x
Medomsley 9 59.72x
Newcastle On Tyne St 9 10.75x
St Andrew Holborn 9 24.45x
Bonhill 8 17.08x
Burnley 8 7.37x
Farnborough 8 34.23x
Islington London 8 0.76x
Kells 8 222.22x
Kensington London 8 1.33x
Kirknewton 8 191.39x
Old Kilpatrick 8 23.20x
Portsea 8 1.83x
Selby 8 35.59x
Conside Knitsley 7 27.87x
Cruden 7 54.05x
Dalrymple 7 137.52x
Darlington 7 5.61x
Little Bolton 7 4.23x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.85x
St Cuthbert Within 7 64.64x
Tranmere 7 7.95x
Troqueer 7 33.95x
Wavertree 7 16.97x
Westoe 7 3.82x
Whitechapel London 7 6.54x
Workington 7 13.08x
Bradford 6 2.30x
Cleator 6 15.42x
Dumbarton 6 14.77x
Hampstead London 6 3.55x
Hulme 6 2.23x
Manchester 6 1.04x
Neilston 6 14.20x
Renfrew 6 21.60x
Rothesay 6 18.83x
Sheffield 6 1.75x
Thornaby 6 14.93x
Gateshead 5 2.07x
Heworth 5 7.86x
Morpeth 5 26.33x
Perth East Church 5 10.88x
Preston Quarter 5 19.09x
Shettleston 5 15.90x
Stockton On Tees 5 3.21x
Caldewgate 4 7.81x
Dalry 4 10.46x
Deptford St Paul 4 1.40x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 5.78x
Litherland 4 14.85x
Merrington 4 64.31x
Newton 4 4.03x
Newton On Ayr 4 16.44x
Queensferry 4 100.00x
Richmond 4 5.40x
Southwick 4 13.08x
Tarbolton 4 29.92x
Walton On Hill 4 5.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 57
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 18
Ellen 14
Bridget 13
Catherine 11
Jane 11
Margaret 10
Ann 9
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Maria 5
Alice 4
Martha 4
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Kate 3
Lizzie 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Margeret 2
Margret 2
Margt. 2
Roseanna 2
Amy 1
Anny 1
Clara 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Eugene 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Hetty 1
Honor 1
Infant 1
Julia 1
Katharine 1
Letitia 1
Lilian 1
Lilley 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Matilda 1
Thereda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
Thomas 21
William 20
James 18
Henry 13
Patrick 13
Robert 9
George 8
Peter 8
Charles 7
Joseph 6
Wm. 6
Daniel 5
Hugh 5
Edward 4
Francis 4
Richard 4
Andrew 3
Bernard 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Barlow 2
Cornelius 2
David 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Allen 1
Ambrose 1
Barnard 1
Catherine 1
Claude 1
Danniel 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
J.B. 1
Martin 1
Patrich 1
Philip 1
Rd. 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Stewart 1
Th. 1
Uriah 1
Valentine 1
Wm.M. 1

FAQ

Mulholland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulholland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,118 people were recorded with the Mulholland surname. That placed it at #3,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulholland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,569 in 2016. That gives Mulholland a modern rank of #1,489.

What does the Mulholland surname mean?

A toponymic surname of Irish origin, derived from a place name meaning "the hill of the holly bush."

What does the Mulholland map show?

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