Show ContentsMulriyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Mulriyn originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Maoilriain, formerly Mulryan, but now abbreviated to Ó Riain. 1

Early Origins of the Mulriyn family

The surname Mulriyn was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. 1

According to O'Hart, the family claim descent from the Heremon Kings of Ireland through the MacMorough pedigree, specifically Cormac, brother of Eoghan who was ancestor of O'Righin; anglicized Mulrain, O'Ryan, Ryan and Ryne. 2

However, MacLysaght claims the family claim descent from O Maoilriain located in Owney, formerly called Owney O'Mulryan which forms two modern baronies on the borders of Limerick and Tipperary. 3 As both authorities were Chief Heralds of Ireland in their own time, we must leave the reader to ponder which of the two is more likely.

Early History of the Mulriyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mulriyn research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1694, 1709, 1732 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Mulriyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulriyn Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Mulriyn can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include O'Ryan, Ryan, Mulrian, Mulryan, O'Mulrian and many more.

Early Notables of the Mulriyn family

Notable among the family name at this time was Father Abraham Ryan, Poet; and Lacy Ryan (c. 1694-1760), English actor who appeared at the Haymarket Theatre about 1709. He was the son of a tailor, of descent presumedly Irish, was born in the...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mulriyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mulriyn family

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Mulriyn name: Alexander, Alfred, Catherine, Cornelius, Daniel, Denis, Edward, Jeremiah, John, Margaret, Mathew, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Richard, Thomas, Timothy and William Ryan all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.



The Mulriyn Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Malo mori quam fodari
Motto Translation: I would rather die than be disgraced.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)


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