NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulvany

A variant of the Irish surname Mulvihill, derived from Irish Gaelic "muileann mhic uidhilin" meaning "son of the mill owner/worker".

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Mulvany surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 226, ranked #18,044, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Bothwell and Sunderland. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse, Sevenoaks and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulvany is 230 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.8%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

226

2016, ranked #18,044

Peak year

2010

230 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulvany had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016, ranked #18,044.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Mulvany surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulvany surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulvany 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 202 #18,032
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 230 #17,750
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 222 #18,198
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 226 #18,044

Geography

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Where Mulvanys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Bothwell, Sunderland, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse, Sevenoaks, Darlington, Hackney and Nottingham. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 Sunderland Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 002 Vale of White Horse
2 Sevenoaks 008 Sevenoaks
3 Darlington 003 Darlington
4 Hackney 022 Hackney
5 Nottingham 023 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulvany

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulvany

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Mulvany surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mulvany household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mulvany is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mulvany is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mulvany falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mulvany

The surname Mulvany is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic name O'Maoilmheana, which translates to "descendant of the devotee of St. Menna". The name can be traced back to the 10th century in County Sligo, Ireland.

The Mulvany surname is believed to be derived from the Irish word "maol", meaning "bald" or "tonsured", and "meana", referring to St. Menna, an early Christian saint. It is possible that the name was originally given to someone who had a close association with a church or monastery dedicated to St. Menna.

Historical references to the Mulvany name can be found in various Irish records and manuscripts. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Mulvany chieftain named Maolmhuaidh O'Maoilmheana in the year 1185.

The Mulvany family was part of the Gaelic nobility in County Sligo and played a significant role in the region's history. Notable individuals from this family include Donnchadh Óg Maoilmheana (c. 1500-1570), a renowned Irish poet and scholar, and Fearghal Óg Mulvany (c. 1620-1680), a prominent military leader during the Irish Confederate Wars.

In the 17th century, the Mulvany surname was also found in County Mayo, where it was anglicized to various spellings such as Mulvany, Mulvena, and Mulveney. One famous bearer of this name was John Mulvany (1807-1870), an Irish painter and art teacher known for his historical and genre paintings.

Another notable individual with the Mulvany surname was Sir Thomas Mulvany (1837-1905), a British civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Suez Canal. He was knighted for his contributions to engineering and served as the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1897 to 1899.

Other prominent individuals with the Mulvany surname include: 1. Patrick Mulvany (1793-1871), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner. 2. William Thomas Mulvany (1806-1885), an Irish-born Australian politician and public servant. 3. John Mulvany (1844-1906), an Irish-American architect known for his work in New York City. 4. Charles Pelham Mulvany (1835-1885), an Irish-Canadian poet and journalist.

The Mulvany surname has a rich history rooted in Irish heritage, with various branches and spellings emerging over the centuries. Despite its origins in County Sligo, the name has spread across Ireland and beyond, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including art, engineering, politics, and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulvany families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulvany 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 39 Mulvanys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 39 2.70x
Durham 18 4.96x
Surrey 17 2.86x
Hampshire 10 4.00x
Lanarkshire 7 1.78x
Essex 6 2.49x
Glamorgan 6 2.83x
Midlothian 6 3.67x
Northumberland 6 3.31x
Stirlingshire 5 11.12x
Middlesex 3 0.25x
Angus 1 0.89x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 10 Mulvanys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.41x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 10 9.41x
Sunderland 10 156.01x
Portsea 8 16.34x
Liverpool 7 7.97x
Alnwick 6 192.31x
Manchester 6 9.22x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 29.41x
South Leith 6 32.64x
Wigan 6 29.67x
Bishopwearmouth 5 16.06x
Campsie 5 202.43x
Battersea 4 8.92x
Bothwell 4 37.42x
Eccleston In Prescot 4 55.10x
Toxteth Park 4 8.17x
Colchester St Mary At 3 352.94x
Droylsden 3 63.56x
Govan 3 3.08x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 19.10x
Newington 3 6.66x
Shenfield 3 483.87x
Newton 2 17.94x
North Meols 2 14.12x
Alverstoke 1 11.06x
Barnsley 1 8.03x
Fareham 1 33.33x
Gorton 1 7.35x
Haslingden 1 16.69x
Kensington London 1 1.48x
Liff Benvie 1 5.83x
Salford 1 2.35x
Todmorden Walsden 1 25.77x
Westminster St 1 22.27x
Westminster St John 1 6.73x
Windle 1 12.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Harriet 4
Eliza 3
Margaret 3
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Kate 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Eileen 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Grace 1
Helena 1
Hethebeen 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kathleen 1
Kathlene 1
Lizza 1
Louisa 1
Robb. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Thomas 7
James 5
Patrick 5
Peter 4
George 3
Denis 2
Alex. 1
Barnard 1
Charles 1
Laurence 1
Michael 1
Morgan 1
Richard 1
Simon 1
Stanley 1
Tho. 1
William 1

FAQ

Mulvany surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulvany surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Mulvany surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulvany surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016. That gives Mulvany a modern rank of #18,044.

What does the Mulvany surname mean?

A variant of the Irish surname Mulvihill, derived from Irish Gaelic "muileann mhic uidhilin" meaning "son of the mill owner/worker".

What does the Mulvany map show?

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