NameCensus.

UK surname

Mullarkey

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolarchaidh meaning "descendant of the chief."

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Mullarkey surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 897, ranked #6,321, up from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Newcastle All Saints and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Halton and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mullarkey is 953 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1064.9%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

897

2016, ranked #6,321

Peak year

2010

953 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mullarkey had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 897 in 2016, ranked #6,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 257 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mullarkey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mullarkey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mullarkey 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 257 #12,658
1997 modern 887 #6,030
1998 modern 907 #6,122
1999 modern 897 #6,215
2000 modern 920 #6,080
2001 modern 892 #6,119
2002 modern 945 #5,952
2003 modern 910 #6,032
2004 modern 910 #6,045
2005 modern 895 #6,053
2006 modern 904 #6,019
2007 modern 907 #6,051
2008 modern 919 #6,040
2009 modern 909 #6,209
2010 modern 953 #6,106
2011 modern 925 #6,194
2012 modern 887 #6,314
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 914 #6,303
2015 modern 892 #6,363
2016 modern 897 #6,321

Geography

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Where Mullarkeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Newcastle All Saints, Liverpool, Bradford and Bedlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Halton, Coventry and Preston. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bedlington Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
2 Halton 006 Halton
3 Halton 004 Halton
4 Coventry 028 Coventry
5 Preston 013 Preston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mullarkey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mullarkey

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

Mullarkey 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

Mullarkey falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mullarkey

The surname MULLARKEY is of Irish origin, traced back to the early 17th century in County Mayo, Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words 'mullach' meaning 'summit' or 'top' and 'reidh' meaning 'plain' or 'level'. The name likely referred to someone who lived on a high, flat area or plateau.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MULLARKEY can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which were tax records for County Mayo. The spelling variations at the time included Mullarkie, Mullarky, and Mullarke. The name was concentrated in the parishes of Kilmovee and Aghamore, located in the Barony of Carra.

In the 19th century, several notable individuals bore the MULLARKEY name. Patrick Mullarkey (1835-1908) was an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Dromore from 1895 until his death. James Mullarkey (1843-1920) was an Irish-born American politician who served as the 16th Mayor of San Francisco from 1897 to 1900.

Another prominent MULLARKEY was Thomas Mullarkey (1847-1925), an Irish-born Canadian businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1891 to 1896, representing the district of North Wellington, Ontario.

In more recent history, John J. Mullarkey (1922-2003) was an American lawyer and judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1981 to 1994. He was born in New York City to Irish immigrants.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the MULLARKEY name in literature can be found in the 1904 novel "The Valley of the Squinting Windows" by Brinsley MacNamara, which mentions a character named Michael Mullarkey, a farmer from County Mayo.

Overall, the surname MULLARKEY has its roots in the Irish counties of Mayo and Sligo, with various spellings emerging in historical records from the 17th century onwards. It has been borne by several notable individuals across different fields, particularly in Ireland, the United States, and Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mullarkey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mullarkey 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 35 Mullarkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 35 3.88x
Yorkshire 9 1.19x
Norfolk 7 5.98x
Lanarkshire 6 2.44x
Midlothian 5 4.91x
Northumberland 5 4.42x
Renfrewshire 5 8.48x
Worcestershire 4 4.03x
Middlesex 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 11.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 9 Mullarkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.32x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 9 49.32x
Preston 9 37.27x
Heigham 7 111.47x
Oldham 6 20.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 12.20x
Widnes 5 76.80x
Byker 4 71.43x
Govan 4 6.57x
Great Bolton 4 33.44x
Kidderminster Borough 4 68.85x
Sutton 4 132.01x
Garston 3 112.78x
Renfrew 3 153.85x
Glasgow 2 4.58x
Neilston 2 67.57x
Alnwick 1 51.28x
Everton 1 3.48x
Heaton Norris 1 19.46x
Kensington London 1 2.36x
Kirkdale 1 6.58x
Liverpool 1 1.82x
Royal Navy 1 12.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Margaret 3
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Michael 5
Francis 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Patrick 3
Thomas 3
William 2
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Patrict 1

FAQ

Mullarkey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mullarkey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Mullarkey surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mullarkey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 897 in 2016. That gives Mullarkey a modern rank of #6,321.

What does the Mullarkey surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolarchaidh meaning "descendant of the chief."

What does the Mullarkey map show?

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