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

Mullan, 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 Mullan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mullan in America

Mullan is the 14631st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mullan surname appeared 2,034 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mullan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mullan 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 Mullan

The surname Mullan has its roots in Ireland, originating from the Gaelic word 'mullán', which means a small hill or summit. It is believed to have emerged as a toponymic surname, derived from a place name referring to a specific location associated with a hill or elevated ground.

During the Middle Ages, the name Mullan was predominantly found in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Ulster and parts of Connacht. It is recorded in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use among Irish families.

One of the earliest known references to the name Mullan can be traced back to the 14th century, when it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of Irish history compiled by medieval Irish monks. This record suggests that the surname was well-established by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname Mullan was found in several historical documents, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were letters patent issued by the English Crown during the Tudor period. This indicates that the name was present among Irish families during the reign of the Tudor monarchs.

Notable individuals with the surname Mullan throughout history include:

1. Thomas Mullan (1786-1864), an Irish poet and songwriter from County Tyrone, renowned for his patriotic verses and ballads.
2. Dermot Mullan (1638-1708), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Cashel from 1687 to 1708.
3. John Mullan (1832-1909), an Irish-American engineer and surveyor who played a crucial role in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century.
4. Elizabeth Mullan (1815-1892), an Irish-born Australian philanthropist and social reformer, known for her work in establishing schools and advocating for women's rights.
5. Terence Mullan (1914-1989), an Irish artist and painter renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Irish countryside.

The name Mullan has also been associated with various place names throughout Ireland, such as Mullan, a townland in County Monaghan, and Mullan Hill, a prominent landmark in County Tyrone.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mullan

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

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

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

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