NameCensus.

UK surname

Mullaney

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maoil Eanaigh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of Saint Eanach."

In the 1881 census there were 228 people recorded with the Mullaney surname, ranking it #11,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,036, ranked #5,626, up from #11,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Bradford and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mullaney is 1,085 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 354.4%.

1881 census count

228

Ranked #11,826

Modern count

1,036

2016, ranked #5,626

Peak year

2010

1,085 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mullaney had 228 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,036 in 2016, ranked #5,626.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mullaney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mullaney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mullaney 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 228 #11,826
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 380 #9,823
1911 historical 442 #8,625
1997 modern 968 #5,638
1998 modern 989 #5,718
1999 modern 1,020 #5,622
2000 modern 1,033 #5,534
2001 modern 1,024 #5,480
2002 modern 1,048 #5,473
2003 modern 1,022 #5,500
2004 modern 1,024 #5,495
2005 modern 1,008 #5,510
2006 modern 1,023 #5,462
2007 modern 1,039 #5,442
2008 modern 1,035 #5,491
2009 modern 1,071 #5,442
2010 modern 1,085 #5,502
2011 modern 1,070 #5,499
2012 modern 1,039 #5,556
2013 modern 1,037 #5,672
2014 modern 1,047 #5,643
2015 modern 1,046 #5,594
2016 modern 1,036 #5,626

Geography

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Where Mullaneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Bradford, Northumberland and Paisley Ralston. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 001 Tameside
2 Bradford 059 Bradford
3 Northumberland 009 Northumberland
4 Bradford 060 Bradford
5 Paisley Ralston Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mullaney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mullaney

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mullaney is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mullaney 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

Mullaney 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 Mullaney 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mullaney

The surname Mullaney has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó Maoildhúnaidh, which translates to "descendant of the tonsured servant of God." The name is believed to have originated in County Mayo, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mullaney can be found in the Annals of Ulster from the year 1335, which mentions a Donnchadh Ó Maoildhúnaidh. The name also appears in various other historical records and manuscripts from medieval Ireland, such as the Annals of Connacht and the Annals of Loch Cé.

The Mullaney name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Mullany, Mullanye, Mulleny, and Mulleney. These variations are often attributed to the English translation of the original Gaelic name, as well as the influence of regional dialects and scribal errors.

Notable individuals with the surname Mullaney include:

1. Thomas Mullaney (1882-1968), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Covington, Kentucky, from 1944 to 1959. 2. John Mullaney (1876-1947), an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who served as the President of the University of Detroit from 1918 to 1939. 3. Edward Mullaney (1885-1964), an American actor and film director who worked in Hollywood during the silent film era. 4. James Mullaney (1944-1999), an American astronomer and author known for his contributions to the study of variable stars and deep-sky objects. 5. Brian Mullaney (born 1934), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Paychex Corporation, a leading payroll and human resource services company.

While the Mullaney name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to immigration patterns over the centuries. The name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Mullaney, a townland in County Mayo.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mullaney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mullaney 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 63 Mullaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 63 2.39x
Yorkshire 24 1.09x
Staffordshire 20 2.66x
Durham 19 2.87x
Leicestershire 18 7.30x
Lanarkshire 14 1.95x
Middlesex 14 0.63x
Cheshire 8 1.63x
Devon 8 1.73x
Angus 7 3.40x
Renfrewshire 7 4.06x
Warwickshire 6 1.07x
Channel Islands 4 6.07x
Herefordshire 4 4.39x
Northumberland 4 1.21x
Kent 3 0.40x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 9.32x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 3.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 18 Mullaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.94x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 18 29.94x
Liverpool 15 9.36x
Govan 13 7.31x
Wolverhampton 13 22.52x
Bradford 9 16.87x
Newton 9 44.25x
Manchester 8 6.74x
Abbey 7 26.62x
Dundee 7 9.10x
West Bromwich 7 16.29x
Barnsley 6 26.40x
Bethnal Green London 6 6.21x
Birmingham 6 3.21x
Esh 6 124.48x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 16.83x
Great Bolton 5 14.30x
Islington London 5 2.32x
Wakefield 5 29.55x
Darlington 4 15.66x
Dilwyn 4 500.00x
Great Crosby 4 55.56x
Salford 4 5.15x
Sunderland 4 34.22x
Habergham Eaves 3 12.44x
Haslingden 3 27.45x
Horton In Bradford 3 8.72x
Macclesfield 3 13.75x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 15.18x
St Peter Port 3 24.61x
Toxteth Park 3 3.36x
Tranmere 3 16.63x
Troqueer 3 71.09x
Crumpsall 2 32.15x
Huyton With Roby 2 64.72x
Lidford 2 96.15x
Woolwich 2 7.14x
Ardwick 1 4.20x
Barony 1 0.55x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.76x
Canterbury St Alphage 1 123.46x
Chelsea London 1 1.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.39x
Elswick 1 3.79x
Fulwood 1 35.09x
High Leigh 1 153.85x
Hulme 1 1.81x
Knutsford Nether 1 33.67x
Leeds 1 0.80x
Portsea 1 1.12x
Royal Navy 1 4.42x
Shotton 1 60.98x
South Shields 1 16.98x
St Anne 1 84.75x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 44.84x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.14x
Westminster St 1 12.20x
Westoe 1 2.67x
Wigan 1 2.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 21
James 16
Edward 8
Michael 8
Thomas 7
Patrick 6
William 6
Martin 4
Charles 2
Dennis 2
Joseph 2
Mitchel 2
Peter 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Austin 1
Devney 1
Edw. 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Hugh 1
Jame 1
Jno.Jas. 1
M. 1
Matthew 1
Maurice 1
Myles 1
Owen 1
Paterick 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Mullaney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mullaney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 228 people were recorded with the Mullaney surname. That placed it at #11,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mullaney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,036 in 2016. That gives Mullaney a modern rank of #5,626.

What does the Mullaney surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maoil Eanaigh, meaning "descendant of a devotee of Saint Eanach."

What does the Mullaney map show?

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