2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Mulvaine
Of Irish origin, meaning "from the green field" or "green plain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Mulvaine. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mulvaine 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Mulvaine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulvaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mulvaine
The surname Mulvaine is derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Bhuain, which means "son of the devotee of St. Buan." It originated in Scotland, specifically from the region of Argyll. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Macilbuin in 1292.
The name is believed to have been derived from the word "buan," which means "lasting" or "enduring" in Gaelic. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly steadfast or resolute in their faith.
In the 16th century, the Mulvaine family was recorded as being part of the Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, a powerful Scottish clan based in the Hebrides Islands. The name appears in various historical records from this period, including the Book of Arran, which dates back to 1544.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Mulvaine was Gillebride Macilbuin, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292. Another notable figure was John Mulvain, who was born in Argyll, Scotland, in 1620 and later emigrated to the American colonies in the mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, the Mulvaine family had established a presence in County Antrim, Ireland. One prominent member was William Mulvaine, who was born in Ballymoney, County Antrim, in 1721. He later became a successful merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Another notable individual was James Mulvaine, born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1788. He was a renowned architect and civil engineer who designed several important buildings in New York City, including the Old Merchants' Exchange Building and the New York City Hall.
In the 19th century, the Mulvaine family continued to thrive in various parts of the English-speaking world. One notable figure was Jasper Mulvaine, born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1825. He was a prominent journalist and editor who worked for several newspapers in the United States, including the New York Evening Post and the New York Times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mulvaine
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulvaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mulvaine 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 Mulvaine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 98
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mulvaine
Mulvaine 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,777 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 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 8,777 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 Mulvaine 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 | #150,935 | 5.5% |
| Count | 101 | 108 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mulvaine bearers went from 101 to 108 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 8,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,935.
FAQ
Mulvaine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mulvaine?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Mulvaine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Mulvaine?
Mulvaine ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Mulvaine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Mulvaine.
Has Mulvaine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mulvaine went from 101 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 7 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Mulvaine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulvaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mulvaine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mulvaine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mulvaine (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 Mulvaine mean?
Of Irish origin, meaning "from the green field" or "green plain." 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 Mulvaine (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 have the last name Mulvaine?
See how many people are called Mulvaine on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.