2000
#2,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.11
Uncommon Last name
Mullin
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maoláin, meaning "descendant of Maolán," a personal name derived from "maol," meaning "bald" or "tonsured."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,307 Americans carry the last name Mullin. That puts it at #3,286 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,850 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mullin 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 Mullin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,850
Census rank
#3,286
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,732 bearers of the surname Mullin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3286th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mullin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mullin 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 Mullin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 9,575
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 358
- Black or African American3.1% · 337
- Two or more races3.0% · 326
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mullin
Mullin 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
#3,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,103
+4 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Down 263 places
2020
#3,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,732
-371 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.59
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,987 | 11,099 | 4.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,250 | 11,103 | 3.76 | +4 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 263 places |
| 2020 | #3,286 | 10,732 | 3.59 | -371 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 36 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 Mullin 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 | #3,250 | #3,286 | -1.1% |
| Count | 11,103 | 10,732 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.76 | 3.59 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mullin bearers went from 11,103 to 10,732 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,250 to #3,286.
FAQ
Mullin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mullin?
Name Census estimates that about 12,307 living Americans carry the surname Mullin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,850 residents.
How common is Mullin?
Mullin ranks #3,286 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,732 people with the surname Mullin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,307), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mullin.
Has Mullin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mullin went from 11,103 recorded bearers to 10,732. That is a decrease of 371 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,250 to #3,286.
What does the Census say about the background of Mullin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mullin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Mullin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (9,575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mullin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (3.3%), Black (3.1%). 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 Mullin (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 Mullin mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maoláin, meaning "descendant of Maolán," a personal name derived from "maol," meaning "bald" or "tonsured." 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 Mullin (3.59 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 Mullin?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Mullin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.