Mulkey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Ireland

Etymology of Mulkey

What does the name Mulkey mean?

There are multitude of rich histories underlying the many Irish surnames in use today. The name Mulkey originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Maolchathaigh, which means "a descendant of a devotee of St. Cathach." The surname is not, as is often believed, derived from "cathach," meaning "warlike."

Early Origins of the Mulkey family

The surname Mulkey was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. 1 They claim descendancy from the Moores, hence the same shield. "John, a younger brother or Roger Caoch who is No. 114 on the 'Moore' pedigree, was the ancestor of Mulcahy." The author continues with a footnote, "From a similarity in the pronunciation of the names, some were of opinion the Maolcaich, who is mentioned in the Stowe Missal, might have been the ancestor of the family. " (O'Hart) From these early beginnings, two additional branches were established in Ardpaddeen and in Kilkenny. Of this latter branch, "the ancient fort or rath in the parish of Castleconor, County Sligo known as Rath Maoilcatha, has suggested the idea that this family may have derived their name from the Maolcatha after whom the rath is called; and therefore that they are descended from the royal stock from which branched the O'Connors, Kings of Connaught." (O'Hart)

Early History of the Mulkey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mulkey research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mulkey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulkey Spelling Variations

Throughout the early history of this name, spellings of the surname in various records changed frequently largely due to the recorder's interpretation of how the name sounded at the time of the entry. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Mulkey family name include Mulcahey, O'Mulcahey, Mulcahy, O'Mulcahy, Mulcahee, Mulkey, McMulkey and many more.

Early Notables of the Mulkey family

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

Mulkey Ranking

the United States, the name Mulkey is the 4,510^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Mulkey migration to the United States +

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation, and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Mulkey:

Mulkey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. M. Mulkey, aged 34, who settled in America from Tulla, in 1901
Frederick W. Mulkey, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1905
Margaret Mulkey, aged 39, who landed in America from Ennis, Ireland, in 1907
John L. Mulkey, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
Edward Mulkey, aged 53, who immigrated to America, in 1919
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mulkey (post 1700) +

Philip Roy Mulkey (1933-2022), American silver medalist track and field athlete at the 1959 Pan American Games
William Oscar Mulkey (1871-1943), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Alabama State House of Representatives, 1911; U.S. Representative from Alabama 3rd District, 1914-15 3
P. F. Mulkey, American politician, Village President of Western Springs, Illinois, 1935 4
John H. Mulkey, American politician, Justice of Illinois State Supreme Court, 1879-88 4
Frederick William Mulkey (1874-1924), American Republican politician, U.S. Senator from Oregon, 1907, 1918 4
William O. Mulkey (1871-1943), United States Representative from Alabama
Frederick W. Mulkey (1874-1924), United States Senator from Oregon

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html