2000
#14,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,914
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Mullane
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maolain, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,090 Americans carry the last name Mullane. That puts it at #15,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,997 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mullane 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mullane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,997
Census rank
#15,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,823 bearers of the surname Mullane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mullane
The surname Mullane has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Cork and Kerry, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Muáillín, which translates to "descendant of Muáillín," a personal name meaning "little bald one."
This surname is believed to have originated from the territory of Muaill, located in the barony of Magunihy, County Kerry. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a certain Domhnall Ó Muáillín is mentioned in the year 1190.
The Mullane surname has undergone various spellings throughout history, including Mullan, Mullane, Mullen, and Mullin. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the anglicization of the name by English scribes and record keepers.
In the 16th century, the Mullane family held significant prominence in the region of West Muskerry, County Cork. Historical records mention a Dermod Mullane, who was a member of the Irish Parliament in 1585, representing the constituency of Doneraile.
Another notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Mullen (1625-1693), an Irish soldier and politician who served as Governor of County Cork during the reign of King James II. He played a pivotal role in the Williamite War in Ireland, leading Jacobite forces against the armies of William of Orange.
In the 18th century, the Mullane surname appears in the records of the Irish Genealogical Office, with references to a family from the parish of Kilmurry, County Cork. One of their descendants, John Mullane (1790-1868), was a prominent Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in the region.
During the 19th century, the Mullane family had a strong presence in the town of Killarney, County Kerry. A notable figure from this era was Daniel Mullane (1834-1904), a successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of the town's infrastructure and education system.
Another prominent individual with the Mullane surname was John Mullane (1883-1964), a celebrated Irish hurler who captained the Cork senior hurling team and led them to victory in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1903.
While the surname Mullane is predominantly Irish in origin, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of Irish families can be found bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mullane
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mullane 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 Mullane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,694
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 65
- Two or more races2.4% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mullane
Mullane 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
#13,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,153
+239 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 352 places
2020
#15,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,823
-330 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,479 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,349 | 1,914 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,997 | 2,153 | 0.73 | +239 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 352 places |
| 2020 | #15,476 | 1,823 | 0.61 | -330 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 1,479 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 Mullane 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 | #13,997 | #15,476 | -10.6% |
| Count | 2,153 | 1,823 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.61 | -16.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mullane bearers went from 2,153 to 1,823 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 1,479 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,997 to #15,476.
FAQ
Mullane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mullane?
Name Census estimates that about 2,090 living Americans carry the surname Mullane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,997 residents.
How common is Mullane?
Mullane ranks #15,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,823 people with the surname Mullane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,090), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mullane.
Has Mullane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mullane went from 2,153 recorded bearers to 1,823. That is a decrease of 330 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,997 to #15,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Mullane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mullane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,694 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mullane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mullane (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 Mullane mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maolain, meaning "descendant of the devotee of Saint John." 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 Mullane (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Mullane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.