Mullane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of Irish origin, borne by various people in sports, politics and the arts
2. An Irish-derived surname shared by a number of notable individuals across different fields
3. A hereditary family name of Irish descent, found among people of many professions

Etymology: "Mullane" is an Irish surname rather than a common English word. It comes from the Gaelic "Ó Maoláin," meaning "descendant of Maolán." The personal name Maolán is a diminutive of "maol," which originally meant "bald" or "tonsured," and by extension a shaven-headed religious devotee, a monk or a servant of a saint. So an ancestor's name could describe a shaven head or a religious vocation, and the surname then passed down through the family line. Spellings vary, and "Mullan" and "Mullane" are closely related forms of the same name. The "Ó" prefix, meaning "grandson" or "descendant," was dropped from most surnames in the 17th and 18th centuries, which is why the name now appears without it in most records.