NameCensus.

UK surname

Mullen

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoláin, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John."

In the 1881 census there were 2,855 people recorded with the Mullen surname, ranking it #1,569 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,148, ranked #714, up from #1,569 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Viewpark, Keppochhill and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mullen is 9,242 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 220.4%.

1881 census count

2,855

Ranked #1,569

Modern count

9,148

2016, ranked #714

Peak year

2010

9,242 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mullen had 2,855 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,569 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,148 in 2016, ranked #714.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,739 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mullen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mullen 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 1,250 #2,283
1861 historical 1,311 #2,178
1881 historical 2,855 #1,569
1891 historical 3,174 #1,490
1901 historical 3,739 #1,504
1911 historical 2,387 #2,150
1997 modern 8,257 #772
1998 modern 8,499 #778
1999 modern 8,568 #777
2000 modern 8,554 #779
2001 modern 8,315 #782
2002 modern 8,571 #769
2003 modern 8,358 #776
2004 modern 8,385 #770
2005 modern 8,394 #754
2006 modern 8,475 #750
2007 modern 8,629 #744
2008 modern 8,654 #746
2009 modern 8,927 #741
2010 modern 9,242 #730
2011 modern 9,078 #732
2012 modern 8,903 #732
2013 modern 9,045 #731
2014 modern 9,201 #724
2015 modern 9,157 #719
2016 modern 9,148 #714

Geography

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Where Mullens are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Viewpark, Keppochhill, Northumberland, Rochdale and Doon Valley South. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Viewpark North Lanarkshire
2 Keppochhill Glasgow City
3 Northumberland 021 Northumberland
4 Rochdale 019 Rochdale
5 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mullen

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

Mullen 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

Mullen 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 Mullen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mullen

The surname Mullen has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged as an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name O'Muillain. This name is derived from the Irish word "muillenn," meaning "mill" or "miller," suggesting that the original bearers of this name were likely associated with mill-related occupations.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Mullen can be traced back to the 16th century in various Irish annals and records. One of the earliest known references is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions individuals bearing the surname Mullen in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

In the 17th century, the surname Mullen gained prominence in County Monaghan, Ireland, where it was particularly concentrated. Several notable figures with the Mullen surname emerged from this region during this period, including John Mullen (1614-1690), a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.

As the Mullen family spread throughout Ireland and beyond, various spellings of the name appeared, including Mullin, Mullan, and Millane. These variations often reflected regional dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Mullen in North America can be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where Robert Mullen was listed as a settler in Dorchester in 1634.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Mullen, including:

1. Katharine Mullen (1855-1926), an American philanthropist and educator who founded the Katharine Mullen School for Girls in Denver, Colorado. 2. Burt L. Mullen (1915-1991), an American politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979. 3. Michael G. Mullen (born 1946), a retired United States Navy officer who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2007 to 2011. 4. Brendan Mullen (1949-2009), an Irish-American musician and promoter who played a significant role in the Los Angeles punk rock scene in the late 1970s. 5. Anne Mullen (born 1967), an American actress known for her roles in television series such as The Handler and The District.

The surname Mullen has a rich history rooted in Ireland, reflecting the occupations and localities of its early bearers. While its spellings may have varied over time, the name has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, leaving an indelible mark on history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mullen 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 709 Mullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.85x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 709 7.85x
Lancashire 639 1.93x
Durham 378 4.55x
Northumberland 196 4.72x
Yorkshire 181 0.65x
Cumberland 75 3.12x
Midlothian 68 1.82x
Renfrewshire 68 3.14x
Middlesex 66 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 62 8.26x
Ayrshire 50 2.39x
Cheshire 49 0.79x
Warwickshire 44 0.62x
Kent 25 0.26x
Surrey 25 0.18x
West Lothian 22 5.23x
Staffordshire 17 0.18x
Angus 12 0.46x
Aberdeenshire 11 0.43x
Devon 11 0.19x
Hertfordshire 11 0.57x
Norfolk 11 0.26x
Derbyshire 10 0.23x
Stirlingshire 10 0.97x
Essex 9 0.16x
Isle of Man 9 1.74x
Leicestershire 9 0.29x
Gloucestershire 8 0.15x
Roxburghshire 8 1.58x
Worcestershire 7 0.19x
Denbighshire 6 0.57x
Hampshire 6 0.10x
Sussex 6 0.13x
Cornwall 5 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.13x
Royal Navy 5 1.50x
Fife 4 0.24x
Clackmannanshire 3 1.30x
Kincardineshire 3 0.88x
Lincolnshire 3 0.07x
Westmorland 3 0.49x
Wigtownshire 3 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.12x
Somerset 2 0.04x
Banffshire 1 0.17x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Buteshire 1 0.59x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Selkirkshire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 137 Mullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.13x.

Place Total Index
Govan 137 6.13x
Glasgow 136 8.48x
Barony 132 5.77x
Liverpool 96 4.77x
Manchester 83 5.57x
Gateshead 67 10.77x
Old Monkland 64 17.86x
Cambusnethan 57 28.41x
Chorlton On Medlock 40 7.60x
Bothwell 39 15.92x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 35 9.73x
Newcastle On Tyne St 33 15.32x
Hamilton 32 12.70x
New Monkland 32 11.99x
Barrow In Furness 31 6.88x
Birmingham 31 1.32x
Widnes 31 12.97x
Conside Knitsley 29 44.88x
Everton 28 2.65x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 28 11.28x
Westgate 27 10.49x
Cardross 26 28.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 25 1.66x
Leeds 24 1.54x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 24 43.92x
Salford 23 2.36x
Hunslet 22 5.10x
Iveston 22 57.47x
Abbey 21 6.36x
Bishopwearmouth 21 2.94x
Elswick 21 6.33x
Birkenhead 19 3.87x
Blantyre 19 20.21x
Burnley 18 6.45x
Irvine 18 31.00x
Parr 18 15.18x
Whitburn 18 29.62x
Linthorpe 17 10.29x
Longbenton 17 9.66x
Toxteth Park 17 1.51x
Harrington 16 55.13x
Maryhill 16 9.05x
Wallsend 15 11.38x
West Derby 15 1.55x
Ashton Under Lyne 14 1.93x
Dumbarton 14 13.40x
Keighley 14 4.75x
Westoe 14 2.97x
Bootle Cum Linacre 13 4.94x
Dukinfield 13 4.56x
Lanark 13 17.89x
Newton 12 4.70x
Stockton On Tees 12 3.00x
Sunderland 12 8.18x
Byker 11 5.35x
Farnworth 11 5.54x
Habergham Eaves 11 3.63x
Heworth 11 6.72x
Selby 11 19.02x
St Cuthbert W O 11 9.38x
Thornley 11 36.58x
Wigan 11 2.38x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 1.85x
Eastwood 10 7.50x
Middlesbrough 10 2.77x
Monkwearmouth Shore 10 6.17x
New Kilpatrick 10 14.01x
Old Kilpatrick 10 11.28x
Wingate 10 17.56x
Winlaton 10 12.55x
Wolverhampton 10 1.38x
Bradford 9 1.34x
Camberwell 9 0.50x
Currie 9 39.28x
Dalry 9 9.15x
Islington London 9 0.33x
Leicester St Margaret 9 1.19x
Parton 9 63.42x
Rutherglen 9 6.79x
Whitehaven 9 7.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 204
Margaret 58
Ellen 55
Sarah 51
Catherine 50
Ann 48
Elizabeth 44
Jane 37
Bridget 33
Annie 23
Alice 21
Eliza 14
Isabella 13
Hannah 11
Kate 11
Elizth. 10
Maria 10
Agnes 9
Rose 9
Susan 9
Anne 7
Emily 7
Emma 7
Julia 7
Martha 7
Frances 6
Margt. 6
Charlotte 5
Caroline 3
Cathrine 3
Esther 3
Margret 3
Teresa 3
Theresa 3
Winifred 3
Anna 2
Barbara 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliz. 2
Honor 2
Louise 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Margt.A. 2
Marian 2
Maud 2
Norah 2
Rosetta 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 166
James 105
Thomas 99
William 68
Patrick 55
Michael 41
Edward 26
Joseph 21
Charles 17
Henry 17
Peter 17
Robert 17
Hugh 14
Bernard 13
Francis 13
George 12
Andrew 10
Arthur 10
Owen 10
Richard 10
Daniel 8
Dennis 8
Thos. 8
Martin 7
Frank 5
Wm. 5
Albert 4
David 4
Samuel 4
Willm. 4
Alexander 3
Bartholomew 3
Christopher 3
Denis 3
Frances 3
Frederick 3
Gilbert 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Mark 3
Anth. 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Nicholas 2
Richd. 2
Stephen 2
Barnard 1
Dermil 1
Dominic 1

FAQ

Mullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,855 people were recorded with the Mullen surname. That placed it at #1,569 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,148 in 2016. That gives Mullen a modern rank of #714.

What does the Mullen surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoláin, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John."

What does the Mullen map show?

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