Show ContentsMulvey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Mulvey surname was an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Maoilmheana, meaning "descendant of Maoilmheana," a personal name meaning "chieftain of the Main (river)." In Donegal it may be an Anglicized form of Ó Maolmhaghna

Early Origins of the Mulvey family

The surname Mulvey was first found in County Derry, where they were hereditary ollavs of O'Cahan (O'Kane.) One of the first records of the name was Ó Maiol Mheanna mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 1164 where the family claim descent for the from Eoghan, son of Niall of the None Hostages and was probably associated with the river Meana which flowed into Lough Neagh at Randalstown. 1

Another source claims that the name claims descent from the Donnelly line from MaolfIona which meant in English "the devotee of wine" 2

As both authors referenced were Chief Heralds of Ireland, we must leave it up the reader to decide who is more accurate.

"O'Mulvey was a Chief in the Barony of Mohill, County Leitrim, in which county about 50 per cent, of persons bearing the name Mulvey are now found." 3

Early History of the Mulvey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mulvey research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1659, 1770 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Mulvey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulvey Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Mulvey dating from that time include O'Mulvany, Mulvany, Mulvenna, O'Mulvey, Mulvey and many more.

Early Notables of the Mulvey family

More information is included under the topic Early Mulvey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulvey Ranking

In the United States, the name Mulvey is the 7,520th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


United States Mulvey migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Mulvey:

Mulvey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Roger Mulvey, aged 43, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
  • Isabella Mulvey, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 5
  • John Mulvey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 5
  • Cecily Mulvey, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1854 5
  • Patrick Mulvey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1855 5

Canada Mulvey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mulvey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Mulvey, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Jane Mulvey, aged 17, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Susanna Mulvey, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Ms. Bridget Mulvey, aged 19 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wm S. Hamilton" departing from the port of New Ross, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 6
  • Ms. Mary Mulvey, aged 22 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Messenger" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in October 1847 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Mulvey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mulvey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Mulvey, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. John Mulvey, British convict who was convicted in Niagara on the Lake (Upper Canada), Ontario, Canada for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Peter Mulvey, (b. 1788), aged 56, Irish clerk who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for uttering forged notes, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Miss Mary Mulvey, (b. 1831), aged 20, Irish country servant who was convicted in County Fermanagh, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Mulvey (post 1700) +

  • William Mulvey (b. 1949), American Roman Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas
  • Peter Mulvey, American folk singer-songwriter
  • Michael Mulvey, American Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
  • Kevin Mulvey (b. 1985), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Joseph H. "Joe" Mulvey (1858-1928), American Major League Baseball player
  • Gráinne Mulvey (b. 1966), Irish composer
  • Anthony Mulvey (1882-1957), Irish nationalist politician
  • Stewart Mulvey (1834-1908), Irish-born, Canadian teacher, newspaper editor and politician
  • Paul Mulvey (b. 1958), Canadian retired NHL ice hockey player
  • Laura Mulvey (b. 1941), British feminist film theorist, Professor at University of London
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 48)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar


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