NameCensus.

UK surname

Mullane

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maolain, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John."

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Mullane surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 717, ranked #7,575, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and St Giles-in-the-Fields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire, Cowie and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mullane is 737 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1334.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

717

2016, ranked #7,575

Peak year

2010

737 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mullane had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016, ranked #7,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 167 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Mullane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mullane surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mullane 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 167 #16,692
1997 modern 663 #7,554
1998 modern 701 #7,468
1999 modern 689 #7,612
2000 modern 676 #7,695
2001 modern 670 #7,616
2002 modern 699 #7,522
2003 modern 697 #7,403
2004 modern 696 #7,437
2005 modern 691 #7,421
2006 modern 688 #7,468
2007 modern 696 #7,455
2008 modern 694 #7,538
2009 modern 722 #7,451
2010 modern 737 #7,471
2011 modern 716 #7,565
2012 modern 685 #7,732
2013 modern 707 #7,673
2014 modern 730 #7,534
2015 modern 719 #7,568
2016 modern 717 #7,575

Geography

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Where Mullanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, St Giles-in-the-Fields, Manchester and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire, Cowie, Cardiff, Hillingdon and Westminster. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 016 South Gloucestershire
2 Cowie Stirling
3 Cardiff 037 Cardiff
4 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
5 Westminster 009 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mullane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mullane

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Mullane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Mullane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mullane is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mullane 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mullane

The surname Mullane has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Cork and Kerry, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Muáillín, which translates to "descendant of Muáillín," a personal name meaning "little bald one."

This surname is believed to have originated from the territory of Muaill, located in the barony of Magunihy, County Kerry. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a certain Domhnall Ó Muáillín is mentioned in the year 1190.

The Mullane surname has undergone various spellings throughout history, including Mullan, Mullane, Mullen, and Mullin. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the anglicization of the name by English scribes and record keepers.

In the 16th century, the Mullane family held significant prominence in the region of West Muskerry, County Cork. Historical records mention a Dermod Mullane, who was a member of the Irish Parliament in 1585, representing the constituency of Doneraile.

Another notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Mullen (1625-1693), an Irish soldier and politician who served as Governor of County Cork during the reign of King James II. He played a pivotal role in the Williamite War in Ireland, leading Jacobite forces against the armies of William of Orange.

In the 18th century, the Mullane surname appears in the records of the Irish Genealogical Office, with references to a family from the parish of Kilmurry, County Cork. One of their descendants, John Mullane (1790-1868), was a prominent Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in the region.

During the 19th century, the Mullane family had a strong presence in the town of Killarney, County Kerry. A notable figure from this era was Daniel Mullane (1834-1904), a successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of the town's infrastructure and education system.

Another prominent individual with the Mullane surname was John Mullane (1883-1964), a celebrated Irish hurler who captained the Cork senior hurling team and led them to victory in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1903.

While the surname Mullane is predominantly Irish in origin, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of Irish families can be found bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mullane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mullane 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. Middlesex leads with 19 Mullanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.90x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 3.90x
Kent 10 6.01x
Lancashire 7 1.21x
Surrey 5 2.10x
Essex 4 4.16x
Hampshire 3 3.00x
Devon 1 0.99x
Glamorgan 1 1.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 9 Mullanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.58x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 9 34.58x
Woolwich 8 130.08x
St Giles In Fields 5 297.62x
Castleton 4 69.20x
Wanstead 4 236.69x
Croydon 3 22.74x
Dartford 2 117.65x
Habergham Eaves 2 37.81x
Hound 2 294.12x
St Gilesin Fields 2 714.29x
Westminster St James 2 39.92x
Aldershot 1 29.85x
Camberwell 1 3.21x
Devonport 1 85.47x
Gelligaer 1 51.55x
Kensington London 1 3.69x
Oldham 1 5.36x
Stoke 1 89.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Margaret 4
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Honora 1
Joanna 1
Margt. 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Patrick 4
Michael 3
James 2
Joseph 2
Timothy 2
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Dd. 1
Denis 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
William 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 Mullane households.

FAQ

Mullane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mullane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Mullane surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mullane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016. That gives Mullane a modern rank of #7,575.

What does the Mullane surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maolain, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John."

What does the Mullane map show?

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