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Irish surname

Mullan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Maoláin · 'descendant of Maolán' (diminutive of maol, bald)

Woulfe (1923) gives Mullan as one of many anglicised forms of Ó Maoláin, 'descendant of Maolán', which he calls one of the commonest surnames in Ireland. He notes there were no doubt several distinct families of the name, but apparently the only dynastic one was that of O'Kane's country, in Co. Derry. In 1890 Mullan (counting its varieties) was Ireland's 70th commonest surname, about 9,800 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Mullan surname
Irish formÓ Maoláin
Meaning'descendant of Maolán' (diminutive of maol, bald)
CountiesTyrone, Londonderry, Galway, Antrim
Other spellings9

Origin of the Mullan name

Woulfe: Ó Maoláin 'is found in almost every part of the country, but under a great variety of anglicised forms. There are, no doubt, several distinct families so called, but apparently the only dynastic family of the name was that of O'Kane's country, in Co. Derry.'[1]

  1. 1684Allan Mullen takes his medical degree at the University of Dublin.[3]
  2. 1686Allan Mullen removes to London.[3]
  3. 1890218 births registered for Mullan, Mullen and Mullin together; 128 in Ulster.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. TyroneFirst county named for Mullan births in 1890; 39 entries, second only to Quinn there.[4][5]
Co. LondonderryWoulfe's dynastic Ó Maoláin family was in O'Kane's country, Co. Derry; 33 entries in 1890.[1][5][4]
Co. GalwayAmong the counties where Mullan/Mullen/Mullin was principally found in 1890.[4]
Co. AntrimAmong the counties where Mullan/Mullen/Mullin was principally found in 1890.[4]

Notable people named Mullan

Allan Mullen (or Moline)born mid-17th centuryAnatomist born in the north of Ireland; Dublin medical graduate (1684); member of the Royal Society.[3]

Other spellings

O'Mullan · Mullen · Mullin · Mullon · Mollan · Millan · Mullane · Mullins · Moylan[1]

The Mullan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Mullan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Mullan crest gifts

Clan Omullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapHJ33 Classic Cap - Omullan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Omullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFJ41 Classic Cap - Mullan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap FJ41£33.00Clan Mullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapOA17 Classic Cap - Mullan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap OA17£33.00Clan Omullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap HU36 Omullan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Omullan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Mullan surname: questions

What does the surname Mullan mean?

Woulfe gives Mullan as an anglicised form of Ó Maoláin, 'descendant of Maolán' (diminutive of maol, bald).[1]

Are Mullan, Mullen and Mullin the same name?

Woulfe lists Mullan and Mullen among the anglicised forms of Ó Maoláin, and Matheson counted Mullan, Mullen and Mullin together in his 1890 figures (218 births in all).[1][4]

Where in Ireland is the Mullan name from?

Woulfe says the name is found in almost every part of Ireland, but the only dynastic family was in O'Kane's country, Co. Derry. In 1890 it was found principally in Tyrone, Londonderry, Galway and Antrim, with 128 of 218 births in Ulster.[1][4]

What is Mullan in Irish?

Ó Maoláin, according to Woulfe; Ó Maoileáin is an attenuated variant.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Maoláin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maolain.php
  2. Ó Maoileáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maoileain.php
  3. Allan Mullen — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/AllanMullen.php
  4. Mullan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mullan.php
  5. Registration Province of Ulster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/ulster-names.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).