Mullan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Maoláin
Meaning: “tonsured, bald”
Traditional stronghold: Galway, Derry
Pronunciation: MULL-an; Irish O Maolain: oh MWAY-lawn
History of the Mullan name
Mullan derives from O Maolain, 'descendant of the bald or devoted one', from maol meaning bald or tonsured, a term often applied to monks. The sept was based in the north-west, chiefly around County Derry and County Tyrone, within the wider Cenel Eoghain territories, and a separate branch held land in County Down. As with many maol-names, the sense is of devotion to a saint or monastery rather than physical baldness. The name anglicised variously as Mullan, Mullen and Mullin, and today it remains especially common across Ulster, particularly Derry, Antrim and Tyrone, with the Mullan spelling most associated with the northern branch.
Variants: Mullen · Mullin · O'Mullan
Famous bearers of the name
- Peter Mullan - Scottish actor and director of Irish descent, known for Trainspotting and directing My Name Is Joe
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Connor · Lynch · Connolly · Burke · Doherty · Clarke · Hughes