NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulligan

An Irish occupational surname referring to a descendant of a miller or grinding machine operator.

In the 1881 census there were 1,671 people recorded with the Mulligan surname, ranking it #2,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,196, ranked #1,616, up from #2,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Logie and Blackness and Craigend and Ruchazie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulligan is 4,367 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 151.1%.

1881 census count

1,671

Ranked #2,568

Modern count

4,196

2016, ranked #1,616

Peak year

2010

4,367 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulligan had 1,671 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,196 in 2016, ranked #1,616.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,943 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulligan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulligan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulligan 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 643 #4,042
1861 historical 880 #3,153
1881 historical 1,671 #2,568
1891 historical 1,658 #2,703
1901 historical 1,943 #2,721
1911 historical 1,447 #3,339
1997 modern 4,023 #1,611
1998 modern 4,165 #1,620
1999 modern 4,237 #1,604
2000 modern 4,152 #1,631
2001 modern 4,116 #1,599
2002 modern 4,237 #1,581
2003 modern 4,097 #1,605
2004 modern 4,087 #1,605
2005 modern 4,029 #1,614
2006 modern 4,031 #1,611
2007 modern 4,065 #1,615
2008 modern 4,141 #1,602
2009 modern 4,276 #1,590
2010 modern 4,367 #1,591
2011 modern 4,290 #1,598
2012 modern 4,141 #1,621
2013 modern 4,219 #1,620
2014 modern 4,273 #1,611
2015 modern 4,223 #1,612
2016 modern 4,196 #1,616

Geography

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Where Mulligans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Logie and Blackness, Craigend and Ruchazie and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
2 Knowsley 004 Knowsley
3 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
4 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City
5 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulligan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulligan

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

Mulligan 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

Mulligan 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 Mulligan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mulligan

The surname Mulligan originated in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized version of the Gaelic surname Ó Mullagáin, derived from the Irish word "mullach," meaning "summit" or "hilltop." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a hilltop or prominent hill.

The Mulligan surname was particularly prevalent in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, where it is associated with the Gaelic dynasty of the Maguires. Historical records show that the Mulligans were among the prominent families who supported the Maguires during their conflicts with the English crown in the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Mulligan surname can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of Irish legal documents from the 16th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Mulligane, Mullygan, and Mullegan, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times.

Notable individuals with the Mulligan surname include:

1. Thomas Mulligan (c. 1736-1783), an Irish-born soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and was one of the first to join the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.

2. James A. Mulligan (1830-1864), an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and is remembered for his defense of Lexington, Missouri, in 1861.

3. Ada Mulligan (1869-1950), an Irish actress and singer who performed in England and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

4. Hercules Mulligan (1740-1825), an Irish-American tailor and spy during the American Revolutionary War, known for his role in the Culper Ring, a spy network that provided valuable intelligence to General George Washington.

5. John Mulligan (1835-1919), an Irish-born prelate who served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, from 1874 to 1901.

While the Mulligan surname has spread across the globe due to Irish migration, its roots can be traced back to the rugged hills of Ireland, where it originally gained significance as a marker of place and identity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulligan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulligan 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 547 Mulligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 547 2.82x
Lanarkshire 242 4.58x
Yorkshire 215 1.33x
Durham 117 2.41x
Angus 74 4.89x
Midlothian 71 3.24x
Middlesex 70 0.43x
Cheshire 50 1.39x
Staffordshire 34 0.62x
Cumberland 28 1.99x
Renfrewshire 26 2.05x
Surrey 24 0.30x
Denbighshire 18 2.92x
Flintshire 14 3.19x
Fife 13 1.34x
Ayrshire 11 0.90x
Hampshire 9 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 9 1.73x
Essex 8 0.25x
Kent 8 0.14x
Northumberland 8 0.33x
Lincolnshire 7 0.27x
Monmouthshire 7 0.59x
Glamorgan 6 0.21x
Somerset 6 0.23x
Warwickshire 6 0.15x
Wiltshire 5 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.91x
East Lothian 4 1.85x
Gloucestershire 4 0.12x
Royal Navy 4 2.05x
Cornwall 3 0.16x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.14x
West Lothian 3 1.22x
Wigtownshire 3 1.38x
Berkshire 2 0.16x
Argyllshire 1 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.15x
Devon 1 0.03x
Kinross-shire 1 2.42x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Roxburghshire 1 0.34x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.05x
Sussex 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 81 Mulligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.88x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 81 6.88x
Dundee 63 11.15x
Barony 51 3.81x
Batley 44 28.60x
Manchester 44 5.05x
Toxteth Park 41 6.25x
Govan 40 3.06x
Glasgow 30 3.20x
Salford 30 5.26x
West Derby 29 5.11x
Leeds 24 2.63x
Kirkdale 22 6.75x
Bishopwearmouth 20 4.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 19 2.16x
Oldham 18 2.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 5.52x
Gorbals 17 54.19x
Wrexham Abbot 17 109.61x
Preston 16 3.08x
Castleton 15 7.75x
Gateshead 15 4.12x
Barrow In Furness 14 5.31x
Cambusnethan 13 11.08x
Edinburgh New North 13 68.24x
Lambeth 13 0.91x
Sheffield 13 2.52x
Bradford 12 3.06x
Dunfermline 12 8.07x
Lasswade 12 23.98x
Old Monkland 12 5.72x
Shoreditch London 12 1.69x
Windle 12 11.00x
Beswick 11 22.19x
Everton 11 1.78x
Flint 11 44.12x
Halifax 11 4.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 5.22x
Maryhill 11 10.63x
Blackburn 10 1.94x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 6.49x
Carluke 10 20.84x
Eastwood 10 12.82x
Hamilton 10 6.79x
Middlesbrough 10 4.74x
Stockton On Tees 10 4.27x
Warrington 10 4.35x
Chester Holy Trinity 9 53.22x
Church 9 32.87x
Darlington 9 4.80x
New Monkland 9 5.76x
Newton 9 6.02x
Shettleston 9 19.02x
Trimdon 9 52.39x
Whitehaven 9 12.00x
Wigan 9 3.32x
Edinburgh Canongate 8 14.36x
Hulme 8 1.98x
Ince In Makerfield 8 8.87x
Kirkham 8 31.21x
Liff Benvie 8 3.48x
Pembroke St Mary 8 11.96x
Shotts 8 12.65x
Tunstall 8 33.06x
Usworth 8 31.00x
Workington 8 9.93x
Burntwood Edial 7 19.87x
Livesey 7 20.57x
Oxton 7 34.31x
St George Hanover 7 3.28x
St Luke London 7 2.67x
Avondale 6 19.42x
Barnsley 6 3.59x
Birkenhead 6 2.09x
Birmingham 6 0.44x
Bothwell 6 4.19x
Hackney London 6 0.66x
Northowram 6 5.28x
Pontefract 6 17.20x
Port Glasgow 6 9.80x
St Giles In Fields 6 10.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 141
Margaret 45
Elizabeth 39
Ann 34
Catherine 31
Bridget 28
Sarah 21
Ellen 20
Jane 18
Annie 14
Eliza 12
Alice 11
Kate 11
Rose 11
Julia 8
Anne 5
Emma 5
Caroline 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Cathrain 3
Elizth. 3
Winifred 3
Cathrine 2
Charlotte 2
Christina 2
Ester 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Maude 2
Sophia 2
Amma 1
Bessie 1
Biddilia 1
Bridgett 1
Dealia 1
Dinah 1
E.Jane 1
Elisa 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Isabella 1
James 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 126
James 87
Thomas 54
Patrick 49
Michael 39
William 31
Peter 22
Joseph 17
Edward 16
Francis 15
George 14
Charles 11
Robert 10
Anthony 8
Frank 8
Thos. 8
Andrew 7
Martin 6
Owen 6
Wm. 6
Frederick 5
Henry 5
Matthew 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Bernard 4
Alexander 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Edwd. 3
Hugh 3
Jas. 3
Lawrence 3
Alfred 2
Fredrick 2
Mathew 2
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Terence 2
Walter 2
Anton 1
Burnard 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
E. 1
Edmund 1
Julia 1
Laurenc 1
Laurence 1
Leo.H. 1

FAQ

Mulligan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulligan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,671 people were recorded with the Mulligan surname. That placed it at #2,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulligan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,196 in 2016. That gives Mulligan a modern rank of #1,616.

What does the Mulligan surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to a descendant of a miller or grinding machine operator.

What does the Mulligan map show?

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