2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mulgrave
A locational surname originating from places called Mulgrave in Yorkshire and Westmorland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Mulgrave. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mulgrave surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Mulgrave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrave, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Hispanic (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mulgrave
The surname Mulgrave is of English origin, deriving from the place name Mulgrave, located in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The name itself is believed to have originated from the Old English words "mylna" meaning "mill" and "graf" meaning "grove" or "thicket," suggesting a connection to a mill located within a wooded area.
Mulgrave is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, appearing as "Mulegrave" and "Munegrave." This historic document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides one of the earliest written records of the name and its association with the village.
In the 13th century, the Mulgrave family emerged as significant landowners in the area, with their ancestral seat at Mulgrave Castle. One notable figure from this era was Sir Edmund Mulgrave, who lived around 1250 and served as a knight and landowner.
During the 16th century, the Mulgrave family gained prominence with Constantine Mulgrave (1514-1573), a wealthy merchant and influential figure in the city of Hull. His grandson, Edmund Sheffield, later adopted the surname Mulgrave upon inheriting the Mulgrave estates in Yorkshire.
The name Mulgrave gained further recognition in the 17th century with John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave (1648-1722), a prominent English statesman, soldier, and poet. He served as Lord Privy Seal and Lord Chamberlain under King William III and Queen Anne.
Another notable figure was Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave (1755-1831), a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of Newfoundland and later became the First Lord of the Admiralty.
In the 19th century, Constantine Henry Phipps, 1st Marquess of Normanby (1797-1863), born Constantine Henry Phipps, adopted the surname Mulgrave upon inheriting the Mulgrave estates. He had a distinguished political career, serving as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Governor-General of Nova Scotia, among other roles.
The surname Mulgrave, with its origins rooted in the Yorkshire village, has been carried by several notable individuals throughout history, reflecting the family's prominence and influence in various spheres, including politics, military, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mulgrave
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrave, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Hispanic (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mulgrave bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mulgrave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.5% · 74
- White14.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 11
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mulgrave
Mulgrave appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 5,109 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mulgrave surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #150,935 | 3.3% |
| Count | 104 | 108 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mulgrave bearers went from 104 to 108 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 5,109 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,935.
FAQ
Mulgrave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mulgrave?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Mulgrave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Mulgrave?
Mulgrave ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Mulgrave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mulgrave.
Has Mulgrave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mulgrave went from 104 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Mulgrave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrave, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Hispanic (10.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mulgrave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.5% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mulgrave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.5%), White (14.8%), Hispanic (10.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mulgrave (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mulgrave mean?
A locational surname originating from places called Mulgrave in Yorkshire and Westmorland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mulgrave (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Mulgrave?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mulgrave on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.