NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulvaney

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolmheana, meaning "descendant of a devotee of St. Méadhóc."

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Mulvaney surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 785, ranked #7,030, up from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fareham, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Conwy and Richmond upon Thames.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulvaney is 823 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 364.5%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

785

2016, ranked #7,030

Peak year

2010

823 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulvaney had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 785 in 2016, ranked #7,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 273 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Mulvaney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulvaney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulvaney 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 198 #15,033
1901 historical 272 #12,440
1911 historical 273 #12,177
1997 modern 779 #6,679
1998 modern 792 #6,807
1999 modern 801 #6,782
2000 modern 795 #6,807
2001 modern 782 #6,763
2002 modern 801 #6,768
2003 modern 767 #6,884
2004 modern 770 #6,880
2005 modern 754 #6,928
2006 modern 739 #7,069
2007 modern 758 #6,993
2008 modern 764 #6,999
2009 modern 799 #6,900
2010 modern 823 #6,862
2011 modern 805 #6,911
2012 modern 795 #6,864
2013 modern 801 #6,945
2014 modern 809 #6,925
2015 modern 794 #6,980
2016 modern 785 #7,030

Geography

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Where Mulvaneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fareham, London parishes, Gateshead, Liverpool and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Conwy, Richmond upon Thames and Hounslow. 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 Fareham Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 028 Sunderland
2 Sunderland 029 Sunderland
3 Conwy 007 Conwy
4 Richmond upon Thames 017 Richmond upon Thames
5 Hounslow 015 Hounslow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulvaney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulvaney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mulvaney, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Mulvaney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mulvaney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mulvaney 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

Mulvaney 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

Mulvaney falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mulvaney

The surname Mulvaney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic 'Ó Maolbhánaidh' which translates to 'descendant of the pale-skinned one'. This name can be traced back to County Roscommon in the province of Connacht, Ireland, where it first emerged in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Mulvaney appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. Here, it is recorded that a Maolbhánaidh was present at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, which saw the Irish unite to defeat a Viking invasion.

As the Mulvaneys settled across Ireland in the following centuries, various spellings emerged, including Mulvany, Mulvena, and Mulvenna. These name variants can be found in records such as the Fiants of the Tudor Reign and the Hearth Money Rolls of the 17th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Mulvaney include Redmond Mulvaney (1632-1699), an Irish Franciscan friar who was executed for his role in the Williamite War. Patrick Mulvaney (1835-1912) was a prominent Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies. More recently, author Charles Mulvaney (1895-1979) penned the acclaimed novel 'The Sailor's Passage', set in his native County Mayo.

Other figures bearing the name include the American actress Kathleen Mulvaney (1913-1992), known for her roles in films such as 'The Grapes of Wrath' and 'Citizen Kane'. In the world of sports, Michael Mulvaney (born 1968) was a successful Irish rugby union player who represented his country at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

While the name Mulvaney may have evolved in its spelling over the centuries, it remains firmly rooted in its Irish heritage, with its origins dating back to the eleventh century and the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Connacht.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulvaney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulvaney 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 88 Mulvaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.50x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 88 4.50x
Durham 17 3.47x
Lanarkshire 15 2.81x
Midlothian 12 5.43x
Hampshire 11 3.26x
Middlesex 11 0.67x
Essex 5 1.54x
Yorkshire 4 0.24x
Renfrewshire 2 1.57x
Cheshire 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.35x
Kent 1 0.18x
Northumberland 1 0.41x

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 20 Mulvaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.83x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 20 16.83x
Great Bolton 12 46.31x
Oldham 10 15.84x
Litherland 9 220.05x
Bothwell 8 55.33x
Boldon 7 400.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 7.88x
Lanark 7 163.17x
Sharples 7 330.19x
Little Bolton 6 23.86x
Haslingden 5 61.73x
Islington London 5 3.13x
Portchester 5 1136.36x
West Ham 5 6.96x
Bishop Auckland 4 60.79x
Ryhope 4 117.65x
Sunbury 4 202.02x
Widnes 4 28.35x
Broughton In Salford 3 16.77x
Fareham 3 73.89x
Sculcoates 3 11.58x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 3 53.29x
Windle 3 27.25x
Hulme 2 4.90x
Inveresk 2 33.44x
Newbattle 2 105.82x
Paisley Middle Church 2 26.88x
Portsea 2 3.02x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 6.44x
Chelsea London 1 2.01x
Escomb 1 44.44x
Farnborough 1 28.17x
Halifax 1 4.17x
Halliwell 1 14.04x
Lanchester 1 111.11x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 30.96x
Moss Side 1 9.72x
Shoreditch London 1 1.40x
South Leith 1 4.02x
Tonbridge 1 4.93x
Tranmere 1 7.48x
Tynemouth 1 7.61x
Whiston 1 65.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 13
James 9
Thomas 8
William 6
Peter 4
Richard 4
Andrew 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Chas.M. 1
David 1
Edward 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Jeremiah 1
Michael 1
Neil 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Robert 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Mulvaney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulvaney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Mulvaney surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulvaney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 785 in 2016. That gives Mulvaney a modern rank of #7,030.

What does the Mulvaney surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maolmheana, meaning "descendant of a devotee of St. Méadhóc."

What does the Mulvaney map show?

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