NameCensus.

UK surname

Mulvey

Derived from the Irish Ó Maoil Mheadha, meaning "descendant of the devotee of the balance or scales."

In the 1881 census there were 509 people recorded with the Mulvey surname, ranking it #6,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,381, ranked #4,373, up from #6,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlisle St Cuthbert, London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Duns and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mulvey is 1,425 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 171.3%.

1881 census count

509

Ranked #6,690

Modern count

1,381

2016, ranked #4,373

Peak year

2010

1,425 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mulvey had 509 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,381 in 2016, ranked #4,373.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 646 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mulvey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mulvey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mulvey 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 209 #11,596
1881 historical 509 #6,690
1891 historical 458 #7,974
1901 historical 646 #6,673
1911 historical 528 #7,519
1997 modern 1,312 #4,368
1998 modern 1,363 #4,370
1999 modern 1,387 #4,341
2000 modern 1,412 #4,258
2001 modern 1,382 #4,258
2002 modern 1,410 #4,274
2003 modern 1,385 #4,257
2004 modern 1,351 #4,350
2005 modern 1,362 #4,282
2006 modern 1,382 #4,235
2007 modern 1,396 #4,239
2008 modern 1,384 #4,292
2009 modern 1,379 #4,383
2010 modern 1,425 #4,347
2011 modern 1,411 #4,335
2012 modern 1,403 #4,298
2013 modern 1,395 #4,391
2014 modern 1,416 #4,352
2015 modern 1,385 #4,388
2016 modern 1,381 #4,373

Geography

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Where Mulveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlisle St Cuthbert, London parishes, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Duns, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Tameside and Trafford. 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 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Duns Scottish Borders
3 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
4 Tameside 027 Tameside
5 Trafford 017 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mulvey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mulvey

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

Mulvey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mulvey

The surname Mulvey originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic name Maolmhuaidh, which means "servant of the shaved one" or "tonsured one". This likely referred to a person who was a monk or a devotee of a particular saint.

The name first appeared in the Irish annals around the 11th century and was primarily found in the counties of Roscommon and Mayo. Early spellings of the name included Mulvey, Mulvy, Mulvie, and Mulvaye.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a Maolmhuaidh Ua Buighill, a monk who died in 1058. The Annals of the Four Masters also refer to a Maolmhuaidh Ua Lochlainn, who was the king of Cenél nEógain, a powerful dynasty in Ulster, in the 12th century.

The Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the Mulvey name, as it was primarily an Irish surname.

Notable people with the Mulvey surname include:

1. John Mulvey (1892-1964), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence. 2. Charles Mulvey (1855-1931), an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Janesville, Wisconsin, from 1893 to 1895. 3. Michael Mulvey (born 1958), an American actor known for his roles in films such as "Bloodsport" and "Highlander". 4. Thomas Mulvey (1822-1892), an Irish-born American bishop who served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware. 5. James Mulvey (1923-2013), an American mathematician and professor at New York University, known for his contributions to the field of probability theory.

While the Mulvey name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to Irish immigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mulvey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mulvey 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 163 Mulveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 163 2.76x
Lanarkshire 55 3.42x
Middlesex 53 1.07x
Yorkshire 37 0.75x
Durham 32 2.16x
Midlothian 21 3.15x
Surrey 18 0.74x
Angus 17 3.69x
Staffordshire 17 1.01x
Cheshire 13 1.18x
Cumberland 13 3.04x
Renfrewshire 11 2.85x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.34x
East Lothian 8 12.14x
Fife 7 2.38x
Essex 6 0.61x
Northumberland 5 0.68x
Devon 3 0.29x
Hampshire 3 0.29x
Sussex 3 0.36x
West Lothian 3 4.00x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.43x
Derbyshire 2 0.26x
Berwickshire 1 1.66x
Denbighshire 1 0.53x
Flintshire 1 0.75x
Isle of Man 1 1.08x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Monmouthshire 1 0.28x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 1.69x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 21 Mulveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.51x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 21 10.51x
Liverpool 20 5.58x
Hulme 15 12.17x
Dundee 14 8.14x
Lancaster 14 39.86x
Shotts 14 72.73x
Islington London 12 2.49x
Tamworth 12 133.63x
Edmonton 11 27.45x
Hartlepool 11 52.31x
Port Glasgow 10 53.65x
Sheffield 10 6.37x
Barony 9 2.21x
Bishop Auckland 9 45.32x
Caldewgate 9 38.35x
Camberwell 9 2.83x
Manchester 9 3.39x
Warrington 9 12.86x
Batley 8 17.08x
Edinburgh Canongate 8 47.17x
Glasgow 8 2.80x
West Derby 8 4.63x
Govan 7 1.76x
New Monkland 7 14.72x
Bow London 6 9.47x
Levenshulme 6 98.68x
Newton 6 13.19x
Salford 6 3.46x
South Leith 6 8.00x
Stockport 6 10.62x
Wanstead 6 34.88x
Widnes 6 14.09x
Willesden 6 12.80x
Bothwell 5 11.46x
Cambusnethan 5 13.99x
Cowpen 5 29.34x
Darfield 5 111.36x
Dunfermline 5 11.04x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 5 108.23x
Monkwearmouth 5 35.29x
Nottingham St Peter 5 66.84x
Wigan 5 6.06x
Battersea 4 2.19x
Blackburn 4 2.55x
Clerkenwell London 4 3.41x
Hampstead London 4 5.16x
Nottingham St Mary 4 2.31x
Oldham 4 2.10x
Pendleton In Salford 4 5.69x
Tranent 4 44.94x
Ardwick 3 5.63x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.33x
Barrow In Furness 3 3.74x
Brighton 3 1.77x
Holy Trinity 3 2.53x
Humbie 3 193.55x
Kensington London 3 1.08x
Liff Benvie 3 4.29x
Linlithgow 3 31.22x
Mile End Old Town 3 3.82x
Newington 3 1.63x
Plymouth Charles The 3 6.58x
Southwick 3 21.40x
Wolverhampton 3 2.32x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 2.32x
Aberdour 2 67.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 2 11.17x
Birkenhead 2 2.28x
Blatchinworth 2 14.88x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 4.27x
Brampton 2 18.37x
Chester St Oswald 2 10.06x
Croydon 2 1.49x
Limehouse London 2 3.66x
Linthorpe 2 6.80x
Monk Hesleden 2 48.54x
Royton 2 11.07x
St Cuthbert W O 2 9.58x
Walsall Borough 2 15.34x
Westoe 2 2.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Ann 14
Margaret 11
Sarah 10
Ellen 9
Bridget 7
Jane 7
Annie 6
Catherine 4
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Honor 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Frances 2
May 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Betsey 1
Delia 1
Edwarda 1
Elicia 1
Elizth. 1
Elmey 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Jessie 1
Judith 1
Julia 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
James 24
Thomas 16
William 15
Joseph 10
Michael 9
Patrick 9
Edward 8
Francis 7
Robert 7
Martin 5
Bernard 4
Charles 4
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Garrett 2
George 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Timothy 2
Walter 2
... 1
Alfred 1
Alice 1
Barney 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Errington 1
Fredk. 1
Garret 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Lieran 1
M. 1
Matthew 1
Michl. 1
Pat 1
Saml. 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Ed. 1

FAQ

Mulvey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mulvey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 509 people were recorded with the Mulvey surname. That placed it at #6,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mulvey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,381 in 2016. That gives Mulvey a modern rank of #4,373.

What does the Mulvey surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Maoil Mheadha, meaning "descendant of the devotee of the balance or scales."

What does the Mulvey map show?

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