2000
#3,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,925
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.68
Rare Last name
Mull
A Scottish and English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a rounded hill or promontory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,942 Americans carry the last name Mull. That puts it at #3,966 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mull 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
9.9K
1 in 34,475
Census rank
#3,966
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,670 bearers of the surname Mull in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3966th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mull, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mull
The surname "Mull" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mul," which referred to a small hill or a bare promontory. This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a topographic surname, describing a person who lived near or on a small hill or promontory.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de la Mulle, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a Richard atte Mulle. These early spellings, such as "de la Mulle" and "atte Mulle," indicate that the name was originally associated with a specific location or landmark.
During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, including "Mull," "Mulle," "Mole," and "Molle." This variation in spelling was common at the time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and the influence of regional dialects.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname "Mull." One such person was Sir John Mull (c. 1470-1538), who served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Thomas Mull (1598-1672), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
In the literary world, George Mull (1785-1861) was a Scottish poet and writer who wrote several works celebrating Scottish culture and traditions. Similarly, John Mull (1868-1940) was an American author and journalist known for his contributions to the outdoor literature genre.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Mull" being associated with a place name is the village of Mull in Derbyshire, England. This village likely derived its name from the Old English word "mul," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its topographic origins.
Other notable figures with the surname "Mull" include William Mull (1619-1680), an English mathematician and astronomer, and Robert Mull (1733-1808), a Scottish painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mull
Among Census respondents with the surname Mull, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mull 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 Mull surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 7,208
- Black or African American7.9% · 686
- Two or more races3.6% · 314
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 244
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mull
Mull appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,377
-548 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Down 464 places
2020
#3,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,670
-707 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Down 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,310 | 9,925 | 3.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,774 | 9,377 | 3.18 | -548 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 464 places |
| 2020 | #3,966 | 8,670 | 2.90 | -707 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 192 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 Mull 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 | #3,774 | #3,966 | -5.1% |
| Count | 9,377 | 8,670 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.18 | 2.90 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mull bearers went from 9,377 to 8,670 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,774 to #3,966.
FAQ
Mull surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mull?
Name Census estimates that about 9,942 living Americans carry the surname Mull. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,475 residents.
How common is Mull?
Mull ranks #3,966 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,670 people with the surname Mull. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,942), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mull.
Has Mull become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mull went from 9,377 recorded bearers to 8,670. That is a decrease of 707 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,774 to #3,966.
What does the Census say about the background of Mull?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mull, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mull in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (7,208 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mull appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Mull (2000, 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 Mull mean?
A Scottish and English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a rounded hill or promontory. 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 Mull (2.90 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 share the surname Mull?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.