Find out how popular the last name Mulcahy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mulcahy.

Mulcahy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mulcahy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mulcahy in America

Mulcahy is the 5279th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mulcahy surname appeared 6,595 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Mulcahy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mulcahy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mulcahy

The surname Mulcahy is of Irish origin, derived from the Old Irish Gaelic words "muileach" meaning "chieftain" or "leader" and "cath" meaning "battle". It is believed to have originated in County Cork, Ireland, during the 11th or 12th century.

The name is thought to have been first used to refer to a prominent leader or warrior in battle, and was likely bestowed as a descriptive surname to distinguish individuals of importance or military prowess. Over time, the name evolved into its current spelling, with various historical records showing variations such as Mulcahey, Mulcaghey, and Mulcaghie.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle compiled in the 12th century, which mentions a Mulcahy clan member named Domhnall Ó Muileacháin in the year 1171.

In the 16th century, the Mulcahy family held lands in the baronies of Muskerry and Duhallow in County Cork, and several members were noted for their involvement in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Donal Mulcahy, who fought alongside the Earl of Desmond in the Second Desmond Rebellion (1579-1583).

Another prominent Mulcahy was Tadhg Ó Muileacháin (c. 1600-1670), a renowned Irish poet and historian who composed works in both Irish and Latin, preserving valuable historical and genealogical information about the Gaelic families of Munster.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mulcahy name was associated with several influential clergymen and scholars. Reverend Daniel Mulcahy (1718-1778) was a renowned Catholic priest and educator who established one of the earliest Catholic schools in Ireland after the Penal Laws were relaxed.

In more recent history, Riobárd Mulcahy (1886-1971) was a prominent Irish politician and military leader. He served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and later became Minister for Defence and Minister for Education in the Irish Free State government.

Other notable individuals with the surname Mulcahy include John Vincent Mulcahy (1876-1942), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Spokane, Washington, and Kathleen Mulcahy (1906-1976), an American author and playwright known for her works on Irish history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mulcahy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mulcahy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mulcahy was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mulcahy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mulcahy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mulcahy, please contact us.

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