Mulligan
An Irish surname generally understood as “descendant of the little bald one.”
The #2,469 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,161 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mulligan is usually taken from Irish Gaelic O Maolagáin, meaning “descendant of Maolagán.” The personal name is a diminutive of maol, “bald,” “tonsured,” or in some older contexts “devotee/monk,” so the surname has been glossed as referring to a “little bald or shaven one.” Some 19th-century writers also linked it to a Gaelic place-name meaning a height, but the Irish patronymic explanation is the standard one.
History
The name is well attested in Ireland and later appears in Scottish records as well, especially in areas with Irish migration. Historical spelling varies widely, including Milligan, Mulligan, Mullagan, and related forms. Early genealogical and onomastic works often grouped it with other Maol- names, which account for many surnames beginning with Mul-/Mil-.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older writers sometimes explained the root maol as “bald,” but in Gaelic naming it could also carry a religious sense, referring to a tonsured devotee or monk.
From the historical record
“mule] MULLIGAN (Celt.) the Little Bald or Shaven One, Monk. Disciple [Ir. Maolagdn,Maolacdn:v.lA\\\\ga.n,M\\\\ca.n\ MULLIN (Celt.) for the Irish O'Maoldin = Descendant of M aolan [v. M u 1 1 an ' ] (A.-Fr.-Lat.) for the common French”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)