2000
#32,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 658
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Mulgrew
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "mulgrewaidh" meaning tub-shaped hill or promontory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 836 Americans carry the last name Mulgrew. That puts it at #33,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 409,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mulgrew surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mulgrew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
836
1 in 409,993
Census rank
#33,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
729
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 729 bearers of the surname Mulgrew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mulgrew
The surname Mulgrew has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mul" meaning "summit" or "hillock" and "cruaidh" meaning "hard" or "firm," suggesting the name was originally given to someone who lived on or near a rocky hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as "Mulgrew." Over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Mulgrue, Mulgrieu, and Mulgrou.
The name is associated with the Scottish county of Argyll, particularly the area around Loch Lomond. In the 16th century, a prominent Mulgrew family owned lands near the village of Arrochar, situated on the western shores of the loch. Records from this period mention a John Mulgrew, who was born around 1520 and served as a local laird (landowner).
During the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 14th century, a Sir William Mulgrew is mentioned in chronicles as a valiant warrior who fought alongside Robert the Bruce. He is said to have been present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scots defeated the English forces of King Edward II.
In the 17th century, the Mulgrew name appears in the records of the Clan Campbell, one of the largest and most influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. A notable figure from this time was Duncan Mulgrew, born in 1640, who was a respected scholar and author of several works on Scottish history and culture.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mulgrew include:
1. Sir Patrick Mulgrew (1785-1864), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry.
2. Mary Mulgrew (1867-1938), a Scottish poet and novelist known for her works depicting life in the Highlands.
3. John Mulgrew (1892-1971), a Scottish-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City.
4. Catherine Mulgrew (1918-2008), a Scottish actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the 20th century.
5. Kate Mulgrew (born 1955), an American actress best known for her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway on the TV series Star Trek: Voyager.
While the Mulgrew name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread across the world, carried by emigrants and their descendants. However, its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, where it was borne by generations of individuals who called those lands home.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mulgrew
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mulgrew bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mulgrew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 659
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 17
- Two or more races2.2% · 16
- Black or African American1.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mulgrew
Mulgrew appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#33,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 679
+21 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 711 places
2020
#33,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 729
+50 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,856 | 658 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,567 | 679 | 0.23 | +21 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 711 places |
| 2020 | #33,611 | 729 | 0.24 | +50 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 44 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mulgrew surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,567 | #33,611 | -0.1% |
| Count | 679 | 729 | 7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.24 | 6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mulgrew bearers went from 679 to 729 (+7.4% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,567 to #33,611.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mulgrew
FAQ
Mulgrew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mulgrew?
Name Census estimates that about 836 living Americans carry the surname Mulgrew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 409,993 residents.
How common is Mulgrew?
Mulgrew ranks #33,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 729 people with the surname Mulgrew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (836), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mulgrew.
Has Mulgrew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mulgrew went from 679 recorded bearers to 729. That is an increase of 50 (+7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,567 to #33,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Mulgrew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mulgrew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mulgrew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mulgrew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mulgrew (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mulgrew mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "mulgrewaidh" meaning tub-shaped hill or promontory. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mulgrew (0.24 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Mulgrew?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mulgrew is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.