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

Mulkey, 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 Mulkey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mulkey in America

Mulkey is the 5724th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mulkey surname appeared 6,061 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 Mulkey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mulkey 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 Mulkey

The surname Mulkey is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "mul" meaning "mule" and "key" meaning "quay" or "wharf." It likely originated as a locational name for someone residing near a wharf or landing place where mules were used to transport goods.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, where a Robert Mulkey was listed as a freeman of the county. The name also appears in various spellings such as Mulki, Mulky, and Mulkie in other medieval records across England.

During the 16th century, the surname Mulkey was prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. Notable individuals from this period include John Mulkey (c. 1525-1590), a merchant and landowner in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

As the name spread throughout England, it became associated with several place names, such as Mulkey Green in Lancashire and Mulkey Hill in Shropshire. These locations likely derived their names from early Mulkey inhabitants or landowners.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, several Mulkeys made their mark in various fields. William Mulkey (1628-1701) was a renowned clockmaker in London, while Thomas Mulkey (1675-1738) served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1725.

The name also found its way to the American colonies, with records indicating that a family of Mulkeys settled in Virginia in the late 17th century. One of the earliest documented Mulkeys in America was John Mulkey (1696-1768), a farmer and landowner in Goochland County, Virginia.

Another notable individual was Reverend Jonathan Mulkey (1750-1824), a Baptist minister and pioneer who played a significant role in establishing churches in Tennessee and Kentucky during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the 19th century, the Mulkey surname was well-established in various parts of the United States, particularly in the southern states. One prominent figure was Isaac Newton Mulkey (1823-1901), a lawyer and Confederate soldier from Mississippi who served as a judge and state legislator after the Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mulkey

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

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 Mulkey 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 Mulkey 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 Mulkey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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