The original Gaelic form of Mullaly was "O Maolalaidh," which may be derived from "aladh," which means "speckled."
The surname Mullaly was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mullaly research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1558, 1572, 1595, 1691, 1702, and 1766 are included under the topic Early Mullaly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Mullaly were encountered in the archives: Lally, Lalley, Mulally, O'Mulally, O'Lally and others.
Notable amongst the family name at this time was William O'Mullaly, Dean of Tuam (1558-1572) and Archbishop of Tuam (1572-1595); Thomas Arthur Lally, Count Lally, Commander in Chief...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mullaly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Mullaly name:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: