Mulvihill — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Maoil Mhichíl
Meaning: 'devotee of St Michael'
Traditional stronghold: Kerry, Limerick, Roscommon
Pronunciation: MUL-vih-hill; Irish Ó Maoil Mhichíl: oh mwale VIH-heel
History of the Mulvihill name
Mulvihill is Ó Maoil Mhichíl, 'descendant of the devotee of St Michael', a sept of east Roscommon recorded in the annals from the eleventh century. From Connacht the family drifted south along the Shannon, and by early modern times the name was chiefly found in north Kerry, around Athea and Listowel, and in adjacent west Limerick and Clare. Anglicisation was unusually destructive: alongside Mulvihill, branches of the family adopted Melville and even Mitchell, so that the Gaelic original is hidden in many families who no longer suspect it.
Variants: Mulvihil · Mulville · Melville (assumed) · Mitchell (assumed)
Famous bearers of the name
- Liam Mulvihill — Longford-born Director-General of the GAA who oversaw the rebuilding of Croke Park.
- Martin Mulvihill — Limerick-born fiddle master who taught a generation of Irish musicians in the Bronx.
- Brendan Mulvihill — All-Ireland champion fiddler of Irish-American traditional music.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Brien · Ryan · O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · Murray · O'Connell