NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulkeen

A locational surname originating from the Irish townland of Mulkeen in County Tipperary.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Mulkeen surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Rotherham and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulkeen is 195 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2175.0%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

2011

195 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulkeen had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 39 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Mulkeen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulkeen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulkeen 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 19 #32,642
1901 historical 29 #30,848
1911 historical 39 #29,025
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 182 #19,411
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 185 #19,114
2005 modern 182 #19,259
2006 modern 185 #19,204
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Mulkeens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Rotherham and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 004 Bury
2 Rotherham 009 Rotherham
3 Rotherham 014 Rotherham
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 010 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Rotherham 021 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulkeen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulkeen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mulkeen, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Mulkeen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Mulkeen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Mulkeen is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mulkeen 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

Mulkeen 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 Mulkeen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mulkeen

The surname Mulkeen is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic language and tracing its roots back to the medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to be an anglicized form of the original Gaelic surname "Ó Maoilchín," which means "descendant of the devotee" or "follower of St. Caoin."

The name is thought to have originated in the northern region of County Donegal, where it was particularly prevalent. Historical records indicate that the Mulkeen family was prominent in the area around Inishowen, a peninsula in Donegal, during the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Maoilchín Ó Maoilchín" in the year 1348. This entry suggests that the surname was already in use by that time.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Mulkeen family settled in County Sligo, where they held lands in the baronies of Carbury and Leyny. An influential member of this branch was Fearghus Mulkeen, who lived in the late 16th century and was a prominent leader during the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland.

Another notable figure bearing the surname was Róisín Mulkeen, a 17th-century Irish noblewoman and landowner from County Donegal. She was renowned for her generosity and her support of local poets and bards.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mulkeen name was also present in County Mayo, particularly in the baronies of Erris and Gallen. One prominent individual from this region was Séamus Mulkeen (1723-1798), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who founded several schools in the area.

In the 19th century, a famous bearer of the Mulkeen name was Pádraig Mulkeen (1822-1901), a renowned Irish scholar and historian who authored several works on the history and culture of Ireland.

Despite its Irish origins, the Mulkeen surname has been carried by individuals of notable accomplishments in other parts of the world as well. For instance, John Mulkeen (1885-1962) was a prominent Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulkeen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulkeen 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 4 Mulkeens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.32x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4 4.32x
Lincolnshire 2 16.04x
Yorkshire 2 2.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 2 Mulkeens recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.87x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 2 45.87x
Pilsworth 2 10000.00x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 2 1111.11x
Skelmersdale 1 666.67x
Walmersley Cum 1 666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 3
John 2
Martin 1
Michael 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 Mulkeen households.

FAQ

Mulkeen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulkeen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Mulkeen surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulkeen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Mulkeen a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Mulkeen surname mean?

A locational surname originating from the Irish townland of Mulkeen in County Tipperary.

What does the Mulkeen map show?

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