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Irish surname

McNulty: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac an Ultaigh · 'son of the Ulidian' (or native of East Ulster, Irish 'Ultach')

Woulfe (1923) gives McNulty as an anglicised form of Mac an Ultaigh, 'son of the Ulidian' (a native of East Ulster), the name of a Donegal family who are probably a branch of the O'Dunlevys. He says it is now common in Mayo and Meath, and that in Meath it is always anglicised Nulty. In 1890 Matheson counted 69 McNulty entries in the birth indexes (including spelling varieties), chiefly in Donegal and Mayo.

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Coat of arms associated with the McNulty surname
Irish formMac an Ultaigh
Meaning'son of the Ulidian' (or native of East Ulster, Irish 'Ultach')
CountiesDonegal, Mayo, Meath
Other spellings4

Origin of the McNulty name

Mac an Ultaigh was a Donegal family, 'probably a branch of the O'Dunlevys' (Woulfe). The MacDunlevys were an ancient family of Ulidia (Co. Down and south Antrim), broken by John de Courcy's invasion in 1177; branches then settled elsewhere, and in Tyrconnell some became physicians to the O'Donnells.[1][2]

  1. 11th centuryDonnshléibhe Ó hEochadha, MacDunlevy ancestor, chieftain of Ulidia (McNultys 'probably' a branch).[2]
  2. 1177De Courcy defeats MacDunlevy; Woulfe says McNultys are probably a branch of this family.[2]
  3. 189069 McNulty entries (incl. spelling varieties), chiefly in Donegal and Mayo.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalWoulfe: 'the name of a Donegal family'; first county named for McNulty births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. MayoWoulfe: 'now common in Mayo'; with Donegal, the principal McNulty county in 1890.[1][3]
Co. MeathWoulfe: common in Meath, where it 'is always anglicised Nulty'.[1]

Other spellings

MacNulty · MacAnulty · MacKnulty · Nulty[1]

The McNulty coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the McNulty 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.

McNulty crest gifts

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McNulty surname: questions

What does the surname McNulty mean?

Woulfe gives McNulty as a form of Mac an Ultaigh, 'son of the Ulidian', that is, of a native of East Ulster (Irish 'Ultach').[1]

Is McNulty Irish or Scottish?

Woulfe gives it as Irish: Mac an Ultaigh, the name of a Donegal family. Of 69 McNulty entries in the 1890 Irish birth indexes (counting spelling varieties), 43 were in Ulster and 21 in Connaught.[1][3]

Where in Ireland is the McNulty name from?

Donegal, according to Woulfe, who adds that it is now common in Mayo and Meath. In 1890 McNulty births were found chiefly in Donegal and Mayo.[1][3]

Are McNulty and Nulty the same name?

Woulfe lists Nulty among the anglicised forms of Mac an Ultaigh and says that in Meath the name is always anglicised Nulty.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac an Ultaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-ultaigh.php
  2. Mac Dhuinnshléibhe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macd/mac-dhuinnshleibhe.php
  3. McNulty — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcnulty.php

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