NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulraney

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Muileannach" meaning "one from the mill".

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Mulraney surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, up from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Campsie and Bothwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sauchie, Fallside and Tewkesbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulraney is 253 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 322.0%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

2015

253 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulraney had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulraney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulraney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulraney 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 88 #25,677
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 82 #24,635
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 227 #16,754
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 217 #17,059
2002 modern 212 #17,651
2003 modern 216 #17,229
2004 modern 227 #16,778
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 223 #17,248
2008 modern 227 #17,196
2009 modern 232 #17,293
2010 modern 239 #17,280
2011 modern 241 #17,057
2012 modern 234 #17,291
2013 modern 245 #17,025
2014 modern 250 #16,905
2015 modern 253 #16,669
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Mulraneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Campsie, Bothwell, Swindon, Lyddington and Darlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sauchie, Fallside, Tewkesbury, Alloa West and Bothwell North. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Campsie Stirling
3 Bothwell Lanark
4 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
5 Darlington Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sauchie Clackmannanshire
2 Fallside North Lanarkshire
3 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury
4 Alloa West Clackmannanshire
5 Bothwell North South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulraney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulraney

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Mulraney is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mulraney is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mulraney

The surname Mulraney is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "muileann" meaning mill and "reidh" meaning level or smooth. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, possibly as early as the 9th or 10th century, in the areas of what is now County Meath and County Westmeath.

The name is thought to have been initially associated with a particular family or clan that lived near a mill on a level or smooth plain. In ancient Ireland, mills were important communal resources, and the name may have been used to identify the family responsible for operating and maintaining a local mill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mulraney appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Muiredach Ua Muillrenair" in the year 1088. This entry likely refers to a member of the Mulraney family, using an early spelling variation of the name.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mulraney name is found in various legal documents and land records from counties Meath and Westmeath, indicating their presence and landholdings in these areas. In 1305, a "William Mulrany" is recorded as a witness in a land transaction in the town of Trim, County Meath.

A notable figure bearing the Mulraney name was Seán Ó Muireannaigh, a 16th-century Irish poet and scholar who lived in County Westmeath. He is believed to have been born around 1530 and was renowned for his compositions in the Irish language.

Another prominent individual was Terence Mulraney (1719-1804), a Catholic priest and educator from County Meath. He founded a renowned school in Navan, which attracted students from across Ireland and played a significant role in preserving Irish language and culture during the Penal Laws.

In the 19th century, the Mulraney name is associated with the Irish diaspora, as many members of the family emigrated to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia during the Great Famine and subsequent periods of economic hardship. One such individual was Michael Mulraney (1832-1912), who left Ireland for Australia in the 1850s and became a successful farmer and landowner in the state of Victoria.

Another notable figure was Patrick Mulraney (1844-1921), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Joliet, Illinois, in the late 19th century. He was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure and industry.

Throughout its history, the Mulraney surname has maintained its strong ties to its Irish roots, with many families tracing their ancestry back to the counties of Meath and Westmeath. The name continues to be a proud representation of Ireland's cultural heritage and the resilience of its people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulraney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulraney 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 23 Mulraneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.36x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 23 12.36x
Lancashire 23 3.37x
Stirlingshire 9 42.39x
Wiltshire 2 3.93x
Staffordshire 1 0.51x
Sussex 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bothwell in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Mulraneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 336.63x.

Place Total Index
Bothwell 17 336.63x
Campsie 9 775.86x
Old Monkland 6 81.19x
Salford 5 24.89x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 5 253.81x
Ince In Makerfield 4 125.79x
Toxteth Park 4 17.30x
Liverpool 3 7.23x
Devizes St James 2 294.12x
Brighton 1 5.11x
West Bromwich 1 8.99x
Widnes 1 20.28x
Withington 1 45.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Margt. 2
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1
Thersa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 3
John 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
George 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Nicholas 1
Thomas 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 Mulraney households.

FAQ

Mulraney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulraney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Mulraney surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulraney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Mulraney a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Mulraney surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Muileannach" meaning "one from the mill".

What does the Mulraney map show?

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