Mulhare
An Irish surname meaning someone from the wooded place or mill house.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Mulhare. That puts it at #144,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mulhare surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#144,141
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Mulhare in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulhare, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mulhare
The surname Mulhare originated in Ireland, specifically in the county of Westmeath. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Maol Chiarair," which means "the tonsured servant or devotee of St. Ciaran." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name had a connection to the monastic settlement or church dedicated to St. Ciaran in Westmeath.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Mulhare can be traced back to the 16th century. In the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, which were official records of the English government in Ireland during that period, there are multiple references to individuals with the surname Mulhare or variations such as Mulhery or Mulhaire.
One notable early bearer of the name was Donough Mulhare, who was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters in the year 1576. The Annals of the Four Masters is a celebrated chronicle of medieval Irish history, compiled in the early 17th century by a group of Franciscan scholars.
In the 17th century, the Mulhare family was well-established in the parish of Kilbride, County Westmeath. Several members of the family held prominent positions in the local community during this time, including Patrick Mulhare, who served as a priest in the parish in the late 1600s.
As the Mulhare family spread across Ireland, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Mulhaire, Mulherry, and Mulherrin. One notable figure from this period was James Mulhaire, an Irish soldier who fought in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, during the Williamite War in Ireland.
In the 18th century, the Mulhares continued to play a significant role in the county of Westmeath. John Mulhare, born in 1712, was a landowner and member of the local gentry. His son, also named John Mulhare (1745-1818), was a prominent figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, serving as a captain in the rebel forces.
Another notable bearer of the name Mulhare was Mary Mulhare (1799-1874), a famous Irish storyteller and folklore collector from County Westmeath. Her collection of traditional tales and legends from the region has been invaluable in preserving Irish cultural heritage.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the surname Mulhare emigrated from Ireland to various parts of the English-speaking world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This diaspora has contributed to the global distribution of the name and its various spellings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mulhare
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulhare, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%.
The bar chart below shows how Mulhare bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Mulhare surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4%
- Unknown or suppressed2.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Mulhare surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #136,783 | #144,141 | -5.4% |
| Count | 113 | 115 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Mulhare bearers went from 113 to 115 (+1.8% change). The surname moved down 7,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,783 to #144,141.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mulhare
FAQ
Mulhare surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Mulhare?
The surname Mulhare holds position #144,141 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Mulhare surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulhare, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.