The McNulty surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,483 people carried this name — #2,674 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 21,900 people counted. That is up 3% from 13,080 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McNulty surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac an Ultaigh (“son of the Ulsterman”), from Ultach (“Ulsterman”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McNulty» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 69 births for the McNulty name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,100 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 10 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Donegal and Mayo.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 43
Connacht 21
Leinster 4
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

McNulty was recorded 25 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 962nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 45. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

McNulty in American newspapers,
1884–1924.

Newspaper page from The Labor Journal carrying the name McNulty
The Labor Journal 1913-07-25
Newspaper page from The Comet carrying the name McNulty
The Comet 1884-12-13
Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name McNulty
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1924-03-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 71,197 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McNulty in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

4,705 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McNulty. The most, 956, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,533
Queensland 1,336
Western Australia 816
Victoria 551
South Australia 362
Tasmania 61
ACT (Canberra) 28
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McNulty.

Who carried it

People named McNulty,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Aloysius McNulty 1900–1972 · Catholic bishop

Wikidata (CC0).

In the public record

People named McNulty,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,249 records

4,249 records of the McNulty name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,530
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,074
  • Other U.S. records 1,645
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles J. McNulty

    Born 1908 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; salesperson. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Terses McNulty

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; servant. From Liverpool, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph Dennis McNulty

    Born 1945; from Roxbury, Massachusetts. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 4,249 records for McNulty in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia314 records

314 records of the McNulty name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 108
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 67
  • Other Australian records 139
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Hannah McNulty

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Southworth, arriving 1832; ticket of leave 1836. Native of Ballishannon.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Patt McNulty

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Phoenix, aged 36; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaret Kathlynn McNulty

    Gentlewoman of Mount Martha, Victoria; died 1994.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 314 records for McNulty in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada55 records

55 records of the McNulty name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 24
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 13
  • Other Canadian records 18
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane McNulty

    Came to Ontario in 1881 aboard the Circassian, landing at Halifax, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record James McNulty

    Died 1994, aged 78; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James McNulty

    Died 1940 in New Glasgow, Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 55 records for McNulty in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom17 records

17 records of the McNulty name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • Stirling Council burial records 8
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Anthony McNulty

    Died 1975, aged 51; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record D. McNulty

    Welsh Rlc-Imenl. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas McNulty

    Buried in 1933 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 62.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 17 records for McNulty in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the McNulty name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John McNulty

    Buried in 1912 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 76.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lois Elon McNulty

    Died 1977, aged 57; buried at Seddon Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Amelia McNulty

    Died 1965, aged 82; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for McNulty in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the McNulty name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alice Mary McNulty

    Born 1909 in Ireland; died 1995 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McNulty.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McNulty is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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