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

Mullin, 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 Mullin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mullin in America

Mullin is the 3250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mullin surname appeared 11,103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Mullin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mullin 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 Mullin

The surname Mullin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Maoilinn," meaning "descendant of the tonsured one." It likely originated in the 10th or 11th century and was initially concentrated in County Fermanagh and surrounding areas of Ulster.

The name is thought to be related to the Irish word "maol," meaning "bald" or "tonsured," which suggests it may have been applied to a cleric or monk who had taken religious vows and shaved the crown of their head. Alternatively, it could refer to a secular individual with a distinguishing bald or tonsured appearance.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Mael-Muire Ua Maoilinn" in the year 1164. This entry suggests that the surname was in use by the 12th century.

The name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Mullen, Mullan, Mulline, and Mullins, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations. Some records indicate that the name may have been associated with particular locations, such as Mullin in County Fermanagh or Mullinahone in County Tipperary.

Notable historical figures bearing the Mullin surname include:

1. Thomas Mullin (c. 1683-1738), an Irish-born Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of Killaloe from 1720 until his death.

2. Patrick Mullin (1765-1824), an Irish-born merchant and landowner who immigrated to Newfoundland and became a prominent figure in the fishing industry.

3. John Mullin (1841-1923), an Irish-born politician who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1890 to 1893.

4. Michael Mullin (1860-1934), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Tobago from 1909 to 1934.

5. Brendan Mullin (1923-2015), an Irish-born Roman Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and culture.

While the Mullin surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world through emigration, with significant populations now found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mullin

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

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

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

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