Mullen
An Irish surname that usually comes from a Gaelic byname meaning “the bald one” or “shaven one.”
The #928 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,233 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Mullen is commonly explained from Maolán, a diminutive of maol, meaning “bald,” “tonsured,” or by extension “shaven one” or “monk.” That makes it a nickname surname, originally describing a physical trait or a religiously marked person such as a tonsured cleric. Some older sources also connect related forms with Irish sept names and anglicized spellings such as Mullan, Mullin, and O'Mullan.
History
The name is strongly associated with Ireland, especially Ulster and the north, where forms such as O'Mullan and Mac Mullen are recorded. English-language surname dictionaries of the 19th and early 20th centuries treat Mullen as a variant within this Mullan/Mullin family of names. In diaspora records it often appears alongside spellings like Mullin, Mullins, and Mullaney.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Harrison glossed the underlying Gaelic element as both “the Little Bald” and “Shaven One,” showing how surname meanings were often interpreted through nickname-like descriptions.
From the historical record
“MULLAN 1 (Celt.) the Little Bald or MULLEN f Shaven One; Monk, Disciple [Ir. and Gael. Maoldn — maol, bald, &c. -|- the dim. suff. -a«] (A.-Fr.-Lat.) v. Mullin^. MULLANEY]for 0'Mullan(e)y (Celt.) De- MULLANY > scendant of the Servant or”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)