NameCensus.

UK surname

Nulty

A Celtic surname derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Nualláin, meaning "descendant of Nuallán".

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Nulty surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 405, ranked #11,774, up from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Winwick and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, St. Helens and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nulty is 432 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 309.1%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

405

2016, ranked #11,774

Peak year

2011

432 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nulty had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 405 in 2016, ranked #11,774.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Nulty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nulty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nulty 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 124 #20,163
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 366 #11,781
1998 modern 373 #11,991
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 402 #11,357
2001 modern 395 #11,324
2002 modern 420 #11,041
2003 modern 417 #10,924
2004 modern 408 #11,117
2005 modern 403 #11,120
2006 modern 400 #11,257
2007 modern 400 #11,374
2008 modern 405 #11,351
2009 modern 418 #11,309
2010 modern 428 #11,352
2011 modern 432 #11,132
2012 modern 407 #11,584
2013 modern 418 #11,533
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 415 #11,583
2016 modern 405 #11,774

Geography

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Where Nultys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Winwick, Manchester, Liverpool and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, St. Helens, Camden, Fenland and Cheshire East. 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 Bees Cumberland
2 Winwick Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 007 Knowsley
2 St. Helens 018 St. Helens
3 Camden 024 Camden
4 Fenland 011 Fenland
5 Cheshire East 021 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nulty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nulty

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Nulty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nulty 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

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

Meaning and origin of Nulty

The surname Nulty is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Sligo, Mayo, and Roscommon, during the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Nualaithe," which means "new dweller" or "new tenant."

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nulty can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Nulty (sometimes spelled Nwaltie or Nwalty) being granted lands or pardons in various parts of Ireland.

The Nulty surname is also believed to have connections to the place name "Noughaval" or "Noughaville," which is derived from the Irish words "Nuachongbhail," meaning "new dwelling" or "new habitation." This place name is found in counties like Mayo and Sligo, further solidifying the surname's Irish origins.

In the 17th century, the Nulty surname appeared in various Irish records, such as the Census of Ireland (1659), which listed several Nulty families residing in counties like Sligo and Mayo. The Nulty family was also mentioned in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record from the late 17th century, indicating their presence in Ireland during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Nulty throughout history include:

1. James Nulty (1808-1896), an Irish-born Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Meath from 1857 until his death. 2. Patrick Nulty (1786-1873), an Irish-born Catholic priest and professor of theology who taught at St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, Ireland. 3. Thomas Nulty (1833-1904), an Irish-born Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Meath from 1879 until his death. 4. Michael Nulty (1802-1871), an Irish-born Catholic priest and educator who founded the Nulty Institute, a Catholic school in Dublin, Ireland. 5. William Nulty (1792-1864), an Irish-born Catholic priest and educator who served as the President of St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, Ireland.

While the Nulty surname 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 over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nulty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nulty 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. Cumberland leads with 40 Nultys recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.60x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 40 48.60x
Lancashire 34 3.00x
Surrey 7 1.50x
Durham 5 1.76x
Midlothian 5 3.90x
Yorkshire 3 0.32x
Cheshire 2 0.95x
Hampshire 1 0.51x
Royal Navy 1 8.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hensingham in Cumberland leads with 20 Nultys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2985.07x.

Place Total Index
Hensingham 20 2985.07x
Preston Quarter 15 649.35x
Battersea 7 19.90x
Witton 7 489.51x
Blackrod 5 354.61x
South Leith 5 34.70x
Pennington In Leigh 4 183.49x
Westoe 4 24.81x
Whitehaven 4 91.12x
Widnes 4 48.90x
Anglezarke 3 10000.00x
Accrington 2 19.40x
Ecclesfield 2 28.78x
Liverpool 2 2.90x
Manchester 2 3.92x
Aldershot 1 15.24x
Eastham 1 357.14x
Esh 1 48.31x
Huddersfield 1 7.25x
Huyton With Roby 1 75.19x
Kirkdale 1 5.24x
Litherland 1 42.19x
Lowside Quarter 1 1000.00x
Ness 1 833.33x
Royal Navy 1 10.27x
Toxteth Park 1 2.60x
West Derby 1 3.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 6
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Alice 2
Ann 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Dorothy 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Annie 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Fany 1
Margart 1
May 1
Nancy 1
Nellie 1
Sophia 1
Sylvia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 7
John 5
Patrick 4
William 4
Isaac 3
Joseph 3
Andrew 2
Dixon 2
Edward 2
Michael 2
Albert 1
Bernerd 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Georgie 1
Horatio 1
Nicholson 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Thos.M. 1

FAQ

Nulty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nulty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Nulty surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nulty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 405 in 2016. That gives Nulty a modern rank of #11,774.

What does the Nulty surname mean?

A Celtic surname derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Nualláin, meaning "descendant of Nuallán".

What does the Nulty map show?

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