2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Mullarney
A locational surname originally from Mull of Renfrewshire, Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Mullarney. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mullarney 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Mullarney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullarney, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mullarney
The surname Mullarney is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in County Cork, Ireland, and is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "muillenn" meaning "mill" and "rath" meaning "fort" or "ringfort". This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a mill fortification.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, a collection of documents from the late 16th century. Here, the name is spelled "Mullarnye". It is also believed that the name may have been anglicized from the Irish "Ó Maolárna", which means "descendant of Maolárna", a personal name derived from the Gaelic words "maol" meaning "tonsured" or "bald" and "árna" meaning "iron".
In the 17th century, records show the name appearing in various forms such as "Mullarny", "Mullarne", and "Mullairne". During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Cork and Kerry in southwestern Ireland. One notable figure from this period was John Mullarney, a Catholic priest and author born in 1647 in County Cork.
The 18th century saw the name spread to other parts of Ireland, and by the 19th century, it had become more widely established. One prominent individual with this surname was Charles Mullarney (1796-1875), an Irish judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Drogheda.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mullarney include:
1. Michael Mullarney (1834-1898), an Irish-American Civil War veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
2. John Mullarney (1878-1944), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Tipperary East.
3. Killian Mullarney (1949-present), a renowned Irish ornithologist and author of several field guides on birds.
4. Dermot Mullarney (1951-present), an Irish actor known for his roles in films like "My Left Foot" and "The Crying Game".
5. Declan Mullarney (1968-present), an Irish professional golfer who has competed on the European Tour.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mullarney
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullarney, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mullarney 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 Mullarney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mullarney
Mullarney appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Mullarney 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mullarney bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Mullarney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mullarney?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Mullarney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Mullarney?
Mullarney ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Mullarney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mullarney.
Has Mullarney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mullarney went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Mullarney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullarney, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Mullarney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mullarney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Mullarney (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 Mullarney mean?
A locational surname originally from Mull of Renfrewshire, Scotland. 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 Mullarney (0.04 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 are called Mullarney?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Mullarney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.