2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mulrenan
A surname derived from a place name in Ireland, possibly associated with a small hill or murmuring stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Mulrenan. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mulrenan 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Mulrenan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulrenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mulrenan
The surname Mulrenan has its origins in Ireland, where it dates back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Maolrénaigh, which translates to "descendant of Maolrénach." The name Maolrénach itself is derived from the Gaelic words "maol," meaning "tonsured" or "bald," and "rénach," meaning "vigorous" or "robust."
The Mulrenan family was originally based in County Sligo, where they held lands and were part of the medieval Gaelic nobility. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Maolrénach Ó Maolrénaigh" in the year 1226.
Over the centuries, the name has appeared in various spellings, such as Mulrennan, Mulrenin, and Mulrennin. These variations likely arose due to differences in pronunciation and the adaptation of the name to English spelling conventions.
One notable figure in the history of the Mulrenan name was Domhnall Ó Maolrénaigh, who lived in the 15th century and served as a chief of the Ó Maolrénaigh clan. Another prominent individual was Eóghan Ó Maolrénaigh, a 16th-century Irish poet and scholar who wrote extensively in the Gaelic language.
In the 17th century, the Mulrenan family was dispossessed of their lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster. Many members of the family were forced to relocate to other parts of Ireland or emigrate to continental Europe.
One notable figure from this period was Tadhg Ó Maolrénaigh, who lived in the late 17th century and was a member of the Jacobite army that supported the deposed King James II. He fought in the Williamite War in Ireland and was later exiled to France after the Treaty of Limerick in 1691.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mulrenan name can be found in various records and documents, such as parish registers and land records, particularly in counties Sligo, Mayo, and Roscommon.
Aodh Ó Maolrénaigh, born in 1776, was a prominent Irish scholar and philosopher who wrote extensively on topics related to Irish history and culture. Another notable figure was Seán Ó Maolrénaigh, born in 1845, who was a prominent Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party.
Overall, the surname Mulrenan has a rich and long-standing history in Ireland, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval Gaelic nobility and a strong presence in various historical records and events over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mulrenan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulrenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mulrenan 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 Mulrenan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mulrenan
Mulrenan 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+2 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,501 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 6,501 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,178 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 Mulrenan 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 | #130,610 | #142,788 | -9.3% |
| Count | 130 | 119 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mulrenan bearers went from 130 to 119 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,788.
FAQ
Mulrenan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mulrenan?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Mulrenan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Mulrenan?
Mulrenan ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Mulrenan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Mulrenan.
Has Mulrenan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mulrenan went from 130 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Mulrenan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulrenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Mulrenan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mulrenan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Mulrenan (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 Mulrenan mean?
A surname derived from a place name in Ireland, possibly associated with a small hill or murmuring stream. 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 Mulrenan (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 Americans have the surname Mulrenan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.